Naruto Shippūden: The Mysterious Shadow Village
by Psychotic15
Summary: It started off as a simple mission to a new and mysterious village. Everything seems normal, but as you know, things are never simple. When a sudden explosion goes off in the strange village, the sudden danger is increased! What exactly is going on?
1. A New Mission!

**Chapter One: A New Mission!**

"Oh come on Grandma!" a boy with spiky blonde hair and blue eyes wearing an orange jacket with black sleeves and orange pants yelled. A black headband was proudly worn on his forehead and he finished the look off with black shinobi sandals. "What's up with all these crappy missions you keep giving us?"

A woman with blonde hair tied in two ponytails and brown eyes, wearing a grass-green robe with the kanji symbol for gamble on the back. She wore a sleeveless grey kimono-style blouse with a dark blue sash tied across her waist. Her trousers were in the same color. She wore opened toed sandals with low heels on her feet. The woman rubbed her forehead out of frustration.

"Naruto, stop being so disrespectful!" a girl with shoulder-length pink hair and emerald green eyes yelled. She wore a sleeveless red top with a white circular design on the back and tight black shorts. She wore black gloves on her hands and black high-heeled boots along with pink elbow protectors and a pink-apron like skirt around her waist. She finished the look with a crimson-colored headband worn around her head to help accent her face.

"No, it's alright Sakura." The blonde-haired woman said as she let out a long and tiring sigh. "Now Naruto, what's so crappy about these missions?"

"Well number one, walking dogs is something that only Genin should be doing!" he yelled, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm getting tired of doing things that they should be doing!"

"_You're still a Genin you idiot."_ Sakura thought as she shook her head.

"Number two, I hate picking weeds for that mean old village lady! Every time I accidently pick one of her flowers, she always hits me with that damn rolling pin of hers!" he yelled, rubbing his head.

"_Not like you were doing it on purpose."_ Sakura thought sarcastically.

"And number three, that stupid cat either needs to get a new owner, or he needs to be put on a leash! If he scratches my face one more time, I'm going to strangle that little demon!" he yelled as he rubbed his face.

"_Even though you were the one who kicked it in the side."_ Sakura thought, rolling her eyes.

The blonde haired woman sighed as she pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. She looked at the ranting blonde in front of her with bored eyes. "Are you finished?"

"No! Number four, I-"but his ranting was cut short when a hand reached over and covered his mouth. "I'm sorry Tsunade-sama, he'll be quiet now."

Tsunade sighed. "I hope so. So Kakashi, I take it the missions were successful?"

"Yes Ma'am." A man with spiky silver hair and black eyes said. He wore the standard Jōnin uniform with blue sandals and a navy blue headband. The only thing different was that he wore a mask that covered the lower half of his face and his headband covered his right eye.

"That's good. I can mark those off my list." Tsunade said with a sigh.

"Hold on, you still haven't answered my question!" Naruto yelled. He was able to pull Sakura's hand away from his face long enough to speak. "Why do you keep giving us crappy missions?"

"It's because I don't have anything else to give you Naruto. Plus, I need to get all of these missions out of the way. They're taking up too much space on my desk." Tsunade said as she put her hands before her, elbows on desk.

"Well I'm pretty sure that if you looked hard enough you would be able to-"Sakura's hand covered his mouth again, silencing him.

"Look Naruto, how about I do this?" Tsunade said, rubbing her temples. "If I find a mission higher than a D-Rank, you'll be the first to know."

Naruto moved Sakura's hand. "Make it a B-Rank and you got a deal!"

"Don't push it." Tsunade said through clenched teeth. "Be grateful I'm even letting you know when I do receive a mission that I think you'll be able to do."

"Alright, alright, I'll be good." Naruto said as he raised his arms defensively. "But remember, you promised!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, now don't make me change my mind." She said as she shooed them out of her office. The three walked out the office door. Tsunade sighed as she sat back in her chair and relaxed. _"I swear, that boy will be the death of me!"_

_

* * *

_

"So he was basically being his usual self, loud and obnoxious?" a girl with long blonde hair clipped in a ponytail and big blue eyes. She wore a sleeveless purple top that exposed her navel and a purple skirt. She wore fishnets on her arms and legs, and finished the look with blue sandals.

"Yeah." Sakura said as she handed the girl some money. The girl took it and handed Sakura some flowers. "I just don't know what to do with him Ino."

"Oh, don't worry. You should be used to it by now." Ino said. "Now who are these flower s for?"

"I'm buying myself a gift." Sakura said with a smirk. "Plus, the vase in my room seems pretty lonely. It needs some company."

"Oh wow." Ino said as she rolled her eyes. "You think you're so special that you have to buy yourself a gift."

"You're just jealous because I actually have money to buy something." Sakura said as she turned around and began to walk out the door.

"Hey, don't make me take those flowers away." Ino said as she sent a glare in her friend's direction.

"I'd like to see you try!" Sakura said.

"You want to fight?" Ino slammed her hands on the counter.

"Bring it pig!" Sakura yelled as she clenched her fists. After a minute of glaring at each other, the two began to laugh.

"Get out of my shop Billboard brow." Ino said with a smile. Sakura waved 'goodbye' and turned around and walked out the shop.

* * *

"I mean, who does she think she is? She can't just send me on all these D-Rank missions! Its mutiny I tell you, mutiny!" Naruto shouted as he stuffed a bowl full of noodles in his mouth.

"Well Naruto, she is the Godaime." A man with fairly long brown hair clipped in a ponytail and brown eyes said. He wore the standard Chūnin uniform with a black headband worn on his forehead. There was a horizontal scar going across the bridge of his nose. "Usually whatever she says goes."

"Whatever, I need something more challenging Iruka-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Just be glad she's actually going to let you know when she finds a mission for you. She wouldn't just do that for everybody." Iruka said as he finished his bowl of noodles.

"Yeah, I know, I'm special." Naruto said with a grin. Iruka smiled. "So, are you paying for this meal Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked with a grin.

"You aren't going to pay for it, so I might as well." Iruka said with narrowed eyes as he reached for his wallet. At that moment, a female voice was heard behind him.

"Um, pardon my interruption Iruka, but I have a message for Naruto." The two boys turned around and noticed a woman with shoulder-length dark hair and dark eyes standing there. She wore a dark blue kimono with white trims and black open-toed sandals with low heels.

"It's alright Shizune." Iruka said as he finally pulled out his wallet.

"So what's the message Shizune?" Naruto asked with wide eyes.

"It's from Tsunade-sama." At the mention of her name, Naruto's eyes suddenly lit up with excitement. "She's requested that you come to her office immediately. It's something important."

"Alright, I bet she's found a mission for me!" he cheered as he stood up straight. "I'll see you later Iruka-sensei, and thanks for the meal!" he got up and ran towards the Hokage's tower.

"He's always so full of energy." Shizune said.

"Yeah. He always is." Iruka replied.

* * *

Naruto rushed through the Hokage's tower. Turning down a couple of corridors, running up a flight of stairs, he eventually made it to the correct hallway which the office door was located on. He walked down the hallway and eventually made it to the correct door. He grabbed the door handle and turned it. He walked inside and was surprised at who was waiting there.

One of the people was Sakura. She looked back at him and nodded her head.

There was a boy with long brown hair clipped in a ponytail and lavender-shaded eyes, wearing traditional black and white robes with black sandals and a black headband worn on his forehead.

Standing next to the boy was a girl with fairly long brown hair tied in two Chinese buns and big brown eyes. She wore a long-sleeved white blouse with red pants and black sandals. A black headband was worn on her forehead. There was also a very large scroll attached to her back.

Naruto walked forward and stood next to Sakura. He then whispered to her: "What are Neji and Tenten doing here?"

"They're here to help you on your mission." Tsunade said, obviously hearing his question.

"What happened to Kakashi-sensei?" the blonde asked.

"He's currently on an assignment with Guy and Lee. That's why Neji and Tenten are here. Neji will be the leader of this mission, and I added Tenten because I didn't want her to feel left out." Tsunade explained.

"_Wow, thanks for including me."_ Tenten thought with narrowed eyes.

"Oh." Naruto said.

"So what is the mission Tsunade-sama?" Sakura asked, very curious.

"The mission I'm giving you is classified as a C-Rank mission. You four are to escort this very important document…" she pulled out a medium-sized scroll, which was black with red trims and was decorated with shining red gems. "…to **Ankoku no Kuni."**

"Ankoku…no Kuni?" Tenten repeated, puzzled.

"Yes, Ankoku no Kuni. You may not have heard of it before, but it's a secret land that has not participated in any of the Shinobi Wars. From here, it should take you at least three days. It's located in the east."

"So what is the important document?" Naruto asked. "What does it say?"

"I can't tell you that because that is classified information. Only the eyes of the **Kurokage **can see this. It's of most importance." Tsunade told the blonde.

"So what are the risks?" Neji asked.

"Along the way, you may be attacked by bandits. Ankoku no Kuni has a history of having renegade shinobi appear and attack anybody, so be careful. The rank of the mission could be changed to B-Rank, depending on the type of bandits you're dealing with." Tsunade told the white-eyed boy.

"Alright." Neji reached over and took the scroll out of Tsunade's possession.

"During this mission, you four must stay alert. Ankoku no Kuni is also home to some very dangerous animals that will not hesitate to kill you. Keep your guard up and watch out." The blonde woman explained.

"Okay Tsunade-sama." Sakura said to her master. "We'll be careful."

"Good. Now it's best that you guys leave out tomorrow morning. Think you guys can handle this mission?" Tsunade asked.

"Of course! This mission will be a piece of cake!" Naruto said as he gave a thumbs-up.

"Good, now you're all dismissed!"

* * *

"So does everyone understand the mission?" Neji asked.

"Yeah. Take the scroll to the place, give the scroll to the man, and then come straight home." Naruto said.

"That's basically the run-down of the mission. Other than that, we also need to be on the lookout for enemy shinobi and dangerous animals." Neji explained.

"Understood." Sakura said.

"Our objective is easy to understand, and we will complete this mission. Do I make myself clear?" Neji asked.

"Whatever you say." Tenten said with a sly smirk.

"Good, now let's move out!" and with that final sentence, the four disappeared.

* * *

**Ankoku no Kuni(Land of Darkness)**

**Kurokage(Dark Shadow)**


	2. Arrival of The Bandits!

**Chapter Two: Arrival of The Bandits!**

Team Neji dashed through the tree-tops. It's only been about thirty minutes since they last left Konoha. They still had a long way to go. Naruto was already getting impatient. Something's never change.

"Are we there yet?" he asked suddenly. Sakura rolled her eyes as she sighed. "Naruto, we just left the village not too long ago. Besides, Tsunade-sama said it would take at least three days to get there, so be patient."

_"Speak for yourself."_ Tenten thought. _"It's hard to be patient."_

"Oh man! I wish something exciting would happen!" Naruto yelled as he scratched his forehead. "This is boring!" a loud smacking sound echoed through the forest.

"I told you to be patient." Sakura said with clenched fists. Naruto was across from her, holding his head to ease the pain from the powerful slap Sakura gave him. "Next time I won't be so gentle."

_"Man, I forgot just how scary Sakura really is."_ the blonde thought with a worried expression. _"And I'm pretty sure that next time, she'll aim for my face!"_

Neji kept his visions straight ahead. He activated his Byakugan the second they left the village. He put it to good use. He was searching for any signs of trouble and to make sure they were going the right way. He was taking caution, just like Tsunade told him.

"Do you see anything?" Tenten asked, curious as to why he was concentrating so hard. Neji shook his head. "No. I'm just keeping an eye out for anything. You can never be to sure, am I wrong?"

"No, you're absolutely right." she said as she focused her sight straight ahead.

"So does anyone have an idea of what Ankoku no Kuni might look like?" Sakura asked, hoping to break the silence.

"It's probably dark and creepy. Just by hearing that name creeps me out." Naruto said as he shook his head. Tenten chuckled. "Aw, what's wrong? Is the big bad blonde ninja scared of the dark?"

"No!" he became outraged at the accusation. "I mean, who would want to live in a place like that?"

"Um, the people who live there." Sakura said. Naruto gave her a look that meant 'I know that already, besides them'. She shrugged her shoulders. She honestly didn't know. She didn't even know that there was a place called Ankoku no Kuni. She was just as surprised as everyone else.

Neji listened to their conversation. True, he didn't like the name of the place. The fact that they had renegade shinobi and man-earing animals didn't help him calm down either. He was curious to know just what their land and village looked like. He also wanted to meet with the people there.

He reached in his hip-pouch and pulled out a medium-sized black scroll with a red trim and was decorated with red gems. He looked at the scroll carefully. He was curious to know what was inside it. he wish he could open it, but something bad might happen. He placed the scroll back in his hip-pouch and set his eyes straight ahead once again.

"You too?" Tenten asked as she increased her speed and caught up to him. "I thought I was the only one."

"Yes, I'm very interested in what the scroll holds. I wish I could open it, but for some reason, I feel as though if I do, something bad is going to happen." he said with closed eyes. "But I have enough will-power to resist that urge."

"Oh come on Neji!" the white-eyed boy looked to his left and noticed Naruto had caught up with him. Ha raised an eyebrow. "Just open the scroll a little so you can at least read what the first two words say."

"No Naruto, I won't do it." he replied with a calm voice.

"Fine, if you want then I will." he reached for Neji's hip-pouch and at that moment a felt a hand smacked him upside the head. This time, instead of ignoring the pain and keep going, he had to stop as he held his hand in his hands.

"I told you I wouldn't be so gentle next time." Sakura said as she stopped on the same tree-branch as him. Neji and Tenten stopped on the branch in front of them and watched the two. Tenten chuckled as Neji merely shook his head. The white-eyed boy looked off into the distance and noticed the sun was beginning to set.

"We should get moving. Let's go a bit further before the nightfall comes. We'll set up camp then." Neji explained to the remaining members of the group. They all nodded their heads and took off through the trees.

They still had a long way to go before they reached their destination.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set. It lowered itself down below the horizon as the thick white clouds began to obstruct it from view. The sun cast a wonderful glow in the sky and over the horizon. It was a beautiful sight. Sakura never took her eyes off the sky.

She wish she could stop and enjoy the setting sun, but she knew she couldn't. They had a mission to complete. There would be plenty of time to rest and relax after the mission was finished. She increased her pace so she wouldn't be too far away from the group. It would be a problem if she got lost.

"Just a little bit further and then we'll stop and set up camp for the night." he said to everyone. They all nodded their heads as they all increased their pace.

The four sped through the forest at a faster speed, hoping to put enough distance between them and their village so they would be closer to their destination. The sun was almost completely gone and yet, they still continued to push forward. The sounds of chirping insects filled the air as nightfall began to settle in. The sky began to grow darker, and bright stars started to appear in the sky. A couple of seconds later and the sun was gone. In its place was a large white moon that floated high in the sky.

"It's night." Tenten said to no on in particular. She directed her gaze at Neji, who was staring straight ahead. "Should we stop?"

"No, keep going. Just a little further." he said.

The four pushed ahead even further. They were beginning to grow tired. After what seemed like an enternity of jumping from branch to branch, Neji suddenly yelled "Stop!" and everyone complied to his statement and stopped dead in their tracks. "We've gone far enough. We can make camp here for the night."

"Finally!" Naruto cheered as he stretched his arms.

* * *

A warm fire was burning. It's bright glow was the only source of real light in the dense forest that they slept in. The four sat around the fire, trying to warm themselves up. Sakura relaxed a little. She felt safe as long as the fire was going.

"Boy, that was getting tiring." Tenten said as she held her hands out, trying to warm them up. "I was thinking that you were never going to stop."

"Heh, then you don't know me very well Tenten." Neji said. He sat at the fire with crossed legs and crossed arms. His eyes were closed. He was enjoying the warm feeling. "I said we would stop and set up camp for the night. I wasn't going to make us run straight through the night."

"I'm glad you didn't." Sakura said with a smile.

"Well, I'm going to be bed." Naruto said as he stood up and brushed off his clothes. "All that jumping has me exhausted. Good Night." he was about to walk away when Sakura said: "Where do you think you're going? Get back over here! we have to discuss something very important!" Naruto walked back to the camp fire and took a seat.

"Okay, so listen up." Neji started. All eyes were on him as he began to speak. "I know you all are ready to go to bed, but we have to set up guard duties. We can't risk an enemy attack on us in the middle of the night, so were going to take different shifts. I'll take the first one, any takers for the second one?"

"'ll take the second one." Sakura said.

"I'll take third." Tenten said.

"Alright, so Naruto, you'll have the last shift. By then, it should be morning so you should be rested." Naruto let out a yawn and smacked his lips. "That sounds good. Now can I go to bed?"

"Yes Naruto, go to bed." Sakura said as she watched the blonde get up and walk over to his sleeping bag. Tenten then stood up and stretched her arms. "If you guys don't mind, I'm going to head on to bed. Good Night." she walked towards her sleeping bag.

"You should get some sleep Sakura. Your shift will start very soon." Neji said as he glanced at her. She nodded her head and stood up. "Good Night Neji. Be safe." she walked away. Neji watched her walk off and then stared off into the distance. Something was troubling him.

* * *

It was most likely around mid-night. Sakura sat next to the still burning fire. It was now her turn. Everyone else was fast asleep. The only sounds that could be heard were the insects chirping and the occasional snoring of Naruto.

She looked off into the distance. She couldn't see a single thing. It was dark and the dense forest didn't make it any better. She wish she had the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan. That would make things a lot easier.

She sighed as she looked up into the night sky. The stars were shining very brightly and the moon was bigger and brighter. It was a wonderful view. Nothing could ruin that peaceful moment. At least, that's what she thought...

A sudden gust of wind blew through the forest, shaking all the trees and rustling the bushes. All the animals instantly quieted down, and even Naruto suddenly decided to stop snoring. She looked around and saw nothing. As long as the fire was still going, she was okay.

At that moment, however, the wind blew through again. This time, the fire suddenly went out. Her one source of light disappeared. She stood to her feet and looked around. Something was wrong...she had a bad feeling.

At that moment, she caught sight of something in the forest. It was almost like a reflection of light. She blinked her eyes twice and saw the light again. She pulled out a kunai and carefully took single steps backwards. She had to be careful. Something was about to happen.

Just as she was about to reach her teammates, the light shined again, and this time, it suddenly shot forward. her eyes widened upon realization and using the kunai, she deflected the weapon. The impact knocked her weapon out of her hand. She looked on the ground and noticed a larger version of a kunai glistening in the moonlight. She looked around once again. Someone was here.

Again, another dagger of light flew towards her. She saw it and stepped to the left. The weapon crashed against the ground, lifting rock and debris into the air. She stopped running and turned around. She faced the direction where the weapon came from. She clenched her fist as she raised it into the air.

"Shānnarō!" she yelled as she slammed her fist on the rocky surface below. The very earth beneath her began to crumple and shatter in the form of a fissure that charged in the direction she was facing. Once the fissure apparently hit its target, it exploded in the forest! Rocks, debris, and dust flew into the air.

Everyone else heard her shout and the explosion and instantly awoke. "Sakura, why are you shouting?" Naruto asked, half-sleep half-awake. She turned towards with a look of panic on her face: "It's an ambush!"

At that word, everyone jumped up from their spots and looked around. Neji activated his Byakugan to get a better look. "Damn it, they found us!" he yelled.

"Who found us?" Tenten asked frantically.

"Tenten, on your left!" Neji yelled. Tenten looked in that direction and spotted a barrage of shuriken fly out the trees. She grabbed a scroll and opened it, at the same time releasing her own storm of shuriken which countered the ones coming towards her.

"Everyone, jump up!" Neji yelled again. This time, they all launched themselves into the sky. Once that command was given, four daggers flew from the trees and crashed into the ground, destroying it.

Sakura looked around, desperately trying to find their attackers. She caught sight of another dagger coming her way out of the corner of her eye. She dodged it and ran in that direction. When she was close enough, she punched the ground, sending another fissure in that direction. Again, the fissure imploded on itself, raising rocks and dust into the air.

_"I can't hit them if I can't see them!"_ she thought frantically. _"Where the hell are they?"_

Neji and the others landed on the ground. Sakura jumped back and stood with her team. They all looked in a different direction, searching for their targets. After a couple of seconds...nothing happened. everything became still. They kept their guard up as they looked around.

"They...stopped." Tenten said, unsure of what just happened.

"No, they're still there." Neji said. "One...Two...Three...so where's the other one?" before they even knew, someone had appeared in the middle of their defenses. They all turned around and once they caught sight of the mysterious person in front of them, they jumped away.

They slid across the ground and came to a sudden stop. They glared at the mysterious stranger who stood in front of them. Suddenly, three more figures appeared right by him. Neji narowed his eyes.

"Damn, they found us." he said in a low voice. "I thought I lost them. They've been trailing us ever since we left the Village Gates. That's why I was pushing us so far, because they were hot on our trail."

"I see. And now they've found us." Tenten said, not taking her eyes off the four uninvited guests who stood before her.

"Heh, and now that we have..." one of the bandits began to speak. "...you have something that we want. And were going to take it, one way...or another."

**[Team Neji Targeted! What Happens Next?]**


	3. Team Neji vs Bandits!

**Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update. My internet was down for a couple of days since the last update and it's just been hectic. so now please enjoy the newest installment of the "Mysterious Shadow Village". Also, sorry for such a short battle scene. Please don't be mad that i didn't make it longer, but I promise that in the future, I'll make the fights much better and longer. **

**Chapter 3: Team Neji vs. Bandits!**

No wind blew. The full white moon floated high in the dark sky. Multiple glistening stars occupied the remaining space. Most people would watch the stars with interested eyes, or would take this thiem to go to sleep. However, a small group of people aren't going to be able to do anything.

The forest was dark. There was no type of movement. Everything was still. The wind no longer moved. The trees and bushes stopped dancing. All the animals were quiet.

Two groups of people stood across from each other. One was Team Neji, who was just passing by, and their opponents, the Rogue Bandits. The two groups glared at each other, neither side making a move. The tension in the air started to rise as both groups wondered the same thing. Who was going to attack first?

_"Ugh, bandits."_ Tenten thought as she rolled her eyes. _"These guys get on my nerves."_

The four bandits who stood in front of them looked like they could've been related. They all had raven-black hair, which was done in different styles. One had a ponytail, one had a Mohawk, one was spiky, and the last one's was shoulder-length. Their eye colors were different as well, ranging in the order from Onyx, Hazel, Light-Brown, and Dark-Brown. They all wore the same thing though. A short-sleeved red t-shirt with black shorts and black sandals. They had black bandannas tied around different parts of their body.

Still, there was one thing that confused Sakura. The one with shoulder-length hair had this large bow on his back, and loaded in the bow were the same type of daggers that they had fired at her and her team just a few minutes ago. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the weapon.

_"Those aren't your standard shinobi weapons..."_ she thought._ "...what are they?"_

"Alright, look here. You guys have something that I want, and I expect you to hand it over." the pony-tailed Onyx eyed bandit said as he held his hand out. "Just hand over the scroll and we might let you guys leave."

"What scroll?" Naruto asked. "We have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't act stupid! We have information that the **Sukuro no Ankoku** is being escorted back to Ankoku no Kuni by Konoha shinobi." the hazel-eyed spiky-haired bandit said.

"Were not acting, were honestly don't know what you're talking about." Naruto said, lying through his teeth.

"Heh, I'm curious to see if you can keep lying like that when I slit that throat of yours." the dark-brown Mohawk wearing bandit said with a devious smirk on his face. He reached in his hip-pouch and pulled out a kunai. "Now you don't want me to do that, do you?"

"Look, we didn't come out here looking for trouble." Neji explained, raising his hands defensively. "Now if you would please move, we'll be on our way." the bandits started to laugh. "What's so funny?"

"You are. Do you really think you're going to leave this forest peacefully? Hah! Don't make me laugh!" the Mohawk bandit said with a grin.

"Calm down Taiyou." the light-brown shoulder-length hair bandit said. Taiyou looked towards him and scowled: "Shut up Hisakata! You need to lighten up!"

"Will you two shut up?" the spiky-haired bandit asked. "I swear, you guys argue just like children."

"Oh shut it Ryo, you act the same way." the pony-tailed bandit said. Ryo glared at him. "At least I can control my anger Raikou."

And just like that, the four bandits started to argue among one another. Naruto glanced at the bandits, and then back at his comrades. "Hey guys, let's sneak away quietly while they're arguing." Neji and the others looked skeptical at first, but eventually welcomed the idea. The four slowly started to sneak away. They were just about to take off when they heard a voice: "And just where do you guys think you're going?" Hisakata asked.

"Nice plan Naruto." Sakura said sarcastically. Naruto sighed as he lowered his head.

"Trying to sneak away while were having a creative discussion, the nerve!" Ryo said. Taiyou narrowed his eyes. "We weren't having a creative discussion, we were having a straight-argument, nothing more, nothing less!"

"Guys, need I remind you why were here?" Raikou asked, not taking his eyes off of the four ninja in front of him. "We came here for one thing only, so let's stop arguing and focus on our objective."

"Alright, alright, calm down." Ryo said with a wave of his hand.

"He's right though. Let's skip the chit-chat and get right to the fighting!" Taiyou said with a grin on his face while he cracked his knuckles. Tenten noticed the sadistic look on his face and took a step back. "Neji..." she whispered.

"I know. It seems we don't have a choice in this situation." he said, not taking his eyes off of Taiyou. "We need to protect this scroll, no matter what. Let's hurry up and take care of these guys so we can get back to the mission."

"Okay." Sakura nodded her head as did Naruto. She looked towards Ryo and he sent her a smile. "I'll take the one on the left." she explained. Tenten spotted Hisakata, who carried a large bow on his back. "I'll get that one. The one with the freakishly large weapon on his back."

"I'll take the leader." Neji explained. "So Naruto..." Naruto raised his hand to stop Neji from speaking. "I know, I know. I'll get the last one."

After that, all went quiet in the forest. The wind started to blow. The trees and bushes danced in the cool breeze. Some of the animals in the forest made their way over to the battlefield, watching and waiting. The eight shinobi readied themselves.

And just like that...the battle began.

Naruto ran forward, hands forming hand-seals at an impressive speed. **"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"** four clones appeared next to him in clouds of white smoke. They charged Raikou, who merely smirked.

"Kage Bunshin huh? That's an impressive technique. I'm going to enjoy this." he reached into his kunai holster. He pulled out a kunai and aimed at Naruto. "Bring it kid."

Tenten grabbed a scroll from her hip-pouch and tossed it into the air. She then formed a single hand-seal. **"Shinobi Dougu Kuchiyose!"** the scroll exploded in a cloud of white smoke. From the smoke fell a Bo Staff, which she held with both hands. "Here I come!" she shouted as she dashed towards Hisakata.

He simply smirked as he knelt on one knee and readied his bow. "I'm curious to know if you can dodge the first shot." and just like that, he fired one of the strange daggers towards her.

Neji activated his Byakugan and ran towards Taiyou. The bandit leader did the same and the two met in a violet clash. The two attacked one another with a series of punches and kicks. Neither one seemed to slow down in their attacks. They each hoped the other would tire out quickly. At the same time, the two launched one final attack and simultaneously hit one another, sending each other sliding backwards.

Neji, as did Taiyou, quickly regained their stances. "Hey, you're pretty good for a kid. It looks now I don't have to hold anything back." Neji readied himself as Taiyou charged him once again.

Sakura ran towards Ryo, fist ready. At the last minute, the young bandit side-stepped, causing Sakura's fist to hit the tree behind him, which made it fall over and hit the ground with a loud thud. Reacting fast the young medic turned towards Ryo. She slammed her fist on the ground and sent a large fissure towards him. He jumped into the air and successfully dodged the attack.

As he fell to the ground, he noticed Sakura charging him once again. Just as his feet touched the ground, he jumped backwards, avoiding Sakura's chakra-enhanced fist, which struck the ground, raising rock and debris into the air. When the smoke cleared, she was standing in a nicely-sized crater. Ryo gave a whistle as he watched the girl.

"Wow. So much strength for someone so little. Who taught you how to do that?" Ryo asked with raised eyebrows. Sakura gave a sly smirk. "Wouldn't you like to know." she charged him again, fists glowing with chakra.

Tenten jumped into the air just as Hisakata launched another dagger at her using his bow. While air-born, she picked out several shuriken and threw them with precise accuracy. Hisakata flipped backwards just as the spinning stars were about to hit him. Once he landed on the ground, he aimed his bow into the air and readied another dagger. He released the dagger and it took flight into the air.

Having no other place to go, Tenten was an easy target. The dagger pierced through her abdomen. Hisakata chuckled. He was sure that he had finished her off. Little did he know was that something was wrong.

Suddenly, Tenten's body disappeared in a cloud of white smoke. Hisakata raised an eyebrow as he looked into the sky. Where her body should've been, there was a wooden log. Hisakata narrowed his eyes as he started to look around. He knew something was up.

_"So she used **Kawarimi no Jutsu**...I knew it was too easy...she's around here somewhere, but where?"_ he thought as he looked around. Suddenly, four kunai whizzed passed him. He turned around and saw nothing but darkness and bushes. He narrowed his eyes as he slowly began to turn around. However, that was a mistake.

**"Dainamikku Entorii!"** Tenten yelled as she flew towards Hisakata, leg extended. Her foot connected with his face, sending him flying backwards. He rolled along the ground and came to a sudden stop when he hit a large boulder. Tenten landed on the ground and gave a sly smirk. "Never underestimate a female ninja!"

Neji looked with a skeptical face. _"Did she really...use that technique? I guess she's been hanging out with Guy-sensei and Lee a little too much."_ he thought with narrowed eyes. He looked to his left and spotted Taiyou running towards him. _"This is taking too long. Time to end it."_ Neji blocked Taiyou's fist using his arm. He used his free hand and struck one of the many Tenketsu points that were located in his arm. Taiyou flinched a little, but ignored the pain. Suddenly, Neji thrusts his palm forward, hitting him in the stomach. The bandit leader coughed up blood as his body suddenly froze in place.

Neji removed his hand and took a step back. Taiyou fell to the ground, holding his stomach as he coughed up more blood. "You little...what did you do to me?" Neji relaxed as he started to speak: "Nothing really. All I did was strike one of your main organs. One hit was all it took." Taiyou coughed up even more blood.

Ryo dodged another one of Sakura's attacks. He was toying with the pink-haired maiden. If he wanted too, he could've easily finished her off by now. Still, he loved to be chased non-stop, especially by women. It made him feel...special.

Sakura threw her fist forward. Ryo tilted his head as her fist went past him. He grabbed her arm and held her in place. Sakura's eyes widened in surprise as she struggled to pull herself free. When she couldn't, she glared at Ryo, who smiled back.

"Now, now, play nice. I would hate to have to hurt someone as pretty as you." he said as he caressed her face with his free hand. Sakura clenched her teeth and then gave a sly smirk. "What are you smirking about?"

"This!" Sakura yelled as she used her free fist and punched Ryo in the stomach. With the added strength because of her precise chakra control, the punch was equally fatal. She then pushed him towards the ground, and before he could even get up, she slammed her fist back in his stomach. The impact caused Ryo to cough up blood and a large crater appeared underneath his body.

Sakura stood up straight and looked at his motionless body. "Don't worry, I didn't put enough chakra into my fist to kill you." she told him with a smile.

Raikou struck another Naruto clone with a kunai, causing it to disappear in a cloud of white smoke. He turned around quickly and threw three more knives, which hit three more Naruto clones, causing them to disperse. One clone appeared right in front of his face, but with a horizontal slash, he made quick work of the clone. The clone assault seemed to stop for a minute. But just as quickly as it ended, it started once again.

Unknown to Raikou, a clone snuck up behind him. Just as he turned around, the clone punched him in the face, causing him to stagger backwards. Next, three more clones appeared and kicked him into the air. While they did that, they yelled the word: **"U-ZU-MA-KI!"** as Raikou flew into the air, he didn't expect another Naruto to fall from the sky. Unknown to him, this was the real Naruto.

**"Naruto Rendan!"** Naruto slammed his heel on the bandit's face, sending him crashing to the ground. Raikou slammed into the ground full-force, and his body just laid there motionless. Naruto landed next to him and gave a grin. "That was way too easy!"

After the battle was finished, they all tied the bandits together and watched them. "Heh, that was way too easy!" Naruto cheered with a grin on his face. Tenten nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, usually these so-called 'bandits' put up a much better fight."

"That's true." Sakura joined in on their conversation.

"Oh well. It can't be decided now. Come on, let's continue with the mission." Neji explained as he turned around. Naruto and the others followed close behind him. While they were walking away, Hisakata decided he wasn't finished yet. Quickly, he cut through the ropes with a kunai and threw the kunai forward. With his expert marksmanship, he cut through Neji's hip-pouch, causing all of his items to fall out...including the Sukoro no Ankoku. Before the Hyuga genius could turn around, Taiyou, still ignoring the pain in his gut, ran forward and scooped up the scroll. He jumped back and stood alongside his teammates.

He started to chuckle and then gave a cough, which resulted him in coughing up blood. "Well, well, it seems that the Konoha-nin let down their guard at the last minute." he gave another cough as more blood escaped from his mouth. "It looks like our mission was a success." he held up the scroll for all to see it.

"No!" Sakura cried. Naruto and Tenten were about to attack, but Neji stopped them. "No, wait a minute. Something is wrong..." Tenten looked at him skeptically. "...wrong? Like what?" Neji concentrated on the scroll using his Byakugan. "The scroll is emitting some kind of strange black chakra. It's safe we not go near it...for the moment anyway."

Taiyou held the scroll in the air and smiled. "Finally, I'll know exactly what the Kurokage is planning!" he grabbed the scroll with both hands and started to open it. _"Almost there...almost there..."_ he pulled the scroll open and was surprised at what was on it. Instead of some type of secret writing, the scroll was absolutely blank. He narrowed his eyes as he stared at the scroll. "What type of shit is this? We did all this and got nothing but a blank scroll? This sucks!" he yelled out of rage. Suddenly, something strange started to happen with the scroll.

The wind in the air became still, as did everything around them. At that moment, a small black hole opened in the scroll and started to suck in the air around Taiyou...and himself. Without knowing what was going on, Taiyou was being pulled into the small black hole. With one last scream and a couple of curses, his entire body was pulled into the scroll. The scroll floated in the air for a minute and then closed itself back as it landed on the ground.

"Taiyou!" Hisakata cried after witnessing the entire scene unfold in front of him. He was about to run out when a hand grabbed his shirt. He turned around and noticed Raikou standing, blood trickling out of the corners of his mouth. "Forget it Hisakata. He's gone. We need to get out of here, Ryo needs Medical Attention." Hisakata looked at him and then back at the scroll that lied in the grass. He clenched his fist as he knelt down. He grabbed Ryo and tossed him over his shoulders. Right before he and Raikou fled the scene, he turned and faced the Konoha-shinobi. "The next time we meet, you won't be so lucky." and the two disappeared into the tree-tops.

Team Neji looked on in horror at what had just happened. Neji walked over, knelt down, and picked up the scroll...carefully. He stared at it as the rest of his team followed behind him. "What the...what the hell just happened?" Naruto asked, eyes wide with horror.

"Was that guy...was he sucked into the scroll?" Tenten asked, horrified.

"I guess so. Maybe the scroll has some sort of defense mechanism that activates whenever someone, besides the Kurokage, opens the scroll. I'm guessing that's what happened here." Neji explained, eyes never leaving the scroll.

"I'm glad that we didn't open it." Sakura said as she held herself in her arms. The four Konoha-Shinobi stood there, staring at the red and black scroll that rested in their team leader's hand. Without having another doubt, the four disappeared into the tree-tops, determined to finish their mission.

But the same question lingered through the heads of each one of them...just what the heck was the Sukoro no Ankoku?

**[Mysterious Power Revealed, What Is The Sukoro no Ankoku?]**

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**Sukoro no Ankoku(Scroll of Darkness):** A special scroll containing secret information that only the eyes of the Kurokage can see. The scroll is booby-trapped with a set of already prepared seals and if someone besides the Kurokage opens it without breaking the seals, that person will instantly be sucked into a small black hole which the scroll creates, trapping them within the scroll.

**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu(Shadow Clone Technique):** Similar to the Clone Technique, this jutsu creates clones of the user. But unlike the Clone Technique, these clones are actual copies, not illusions. The user's chakra is evenly distributed among every clone, giving each clone an equal fraction of the user's overall power. The clones are capable of performing jutsu on their own and can even bleed, but will usually disperse after one or two solid blows. They can also disperse on their own. The clones will be created in roughly the same condition as the original.

**Shinobi Dougu Kuchiyose(Ninja Tool Summoning):** Technique used by Tenten. After performing the correct hand-seal, Tenten is able to summon weapons out of the scrolls she carries which air her in battle.

**Kawarimi no Jutsu(Body Replacement Technique):** This jutsu lets the user quickly switch places with another nearby object, such as a plant (normally a section of a log), an animal, or even another person within reach using the Body Flicker Technique, the moment an attack hits. This creates an optical illusion, making the enemy think the attack was successful. The user can then use this confusion to escape or launch a counter-attack. Exploding tags can be attached to the replacement for an added surprise.

**Dainamikku Entorii(Dynamic Entry):** This jutsu simply appears to be a flying jump kick, often performed on the face of an enemy, while dramatically screaming the words "Dynamic Entry". Might Guy, along with Tenten, are known to throw a weapon, such as a kunai, at the enemy to distract them while he takes advantage of their blind spot.

**Uzumaki Naruto Rendan(Uzumaki Naruto Combo):** Naruto makes four shadow clones who, after one clone punches the opponent and the original Naruto leaps on his back, bounds off and performs a frontal somersault, consecutively kicks the opponent into the air with corresponding shouts: "_**U!**_" "_**Zu!**_" "_**Ma!**_" "_**Ki!**_", from each clone once making contact with the real Naruto yelling "_**Naruto Rendan!**_" as he slams his heel from above.


	4. Beasts of the Shadows!

**Chapter Four: Beasts of the Shadows!**

The sun was starting to rise up over the horizon. The darkness of the forest seemed to fade away as the bright yellow light from the sun shined over the forest. The forest animals all came out from their homes and started hunting for food. The chirping birds flew through the morning sky. It was a beautiful morning.

Meanwhile, down in the forest, Team Neji was just awakening. They were a little tired…after all; they did have a fight with a couple of bandits last night. And after that, they started to dash through the forest, trying to close the gap between them and Ankoku no Kuni. Once they did that, they all relaxed and lied down, desperately trying to get some sleep. They had a bad night last night.

Naruto sat up straight as he stretched his arms and yawned. He rubbed his eyes as he looked around. "Is it morning already?" he asked with half-closed eyes and a sleepy voice. The one to answer his question was Neji, who was sitting up against a nearby tree, eyes looking up into the bright morning sky. "Yeah, it is. Did you have a good nights rest?" Naruto shook his head. A small smile formed on Neji's lips as he chuckled.

He looked off into the distance and spotted Sakura kneeling down beside the river. She was currently refilling their canteens with a fresh supply of crystal clear water. She was also washing some of the dirt and grim out of her hair. She splashed a little water on her face to help wake herself up. She stood up straight and with the four canteen bottles in her hands began to walk back towards her group.

"Here you go." She said as she handed Naruto his canteen, which he looked at hesitantly before grabbing it. Sakura looked towards Neji and tossed it to him, which the Hyuga Genius caught with one hand. She knelt down and started to fold up her sleeping bag. She glanced at Naruto, who was still trying to wake himself up.

"Looks like someone didn't get much sleep last night." She said with a small smile. Naruto stuck his tongue out at her and she gave a small laugh. She glanced towards Neji and started to ask a question: "Hey, did Tenten come back yet?" He shook his head. "No, but she should be here right…about…now." And at that exact moment, Tenten walked out of the dense forest, carrying two bags full of fruit.

"I'm back!" she cheered with a proud smile on her face. She walked over to the group and dropped bags on the ground. She sat down and let out a sigh. "For a dangerous forest, this place is full of good fruit!"

"That's good." Sakura said with relief. Another question went through her head at that exact moment. "Hey Neji, how did you know that Tenten was going back at that exact moment?" the Hyuga Prodigy raised an eyebrow before closing his eyes and looking away. "Instinct." Tenten rolled her eyes as she jumped to her feet.

"You were watching me with your Byakugan!" she accused him. "I thought you had much more confidence in me to do alright on my own!"

"I wasn't watching, I was just merely watching out for the safety of my squad-mate." Neji said, not even bothering to look at Tenten, who was kind of upset. She clenched her fist and stomped her foot. "Neji, you are so rude! What if I went in there and started to change my clothes? Then you would've seen all of my goodies!"

Sakura gasped as she reached over and put her hands over Naruto's ears. "Tenten! You can't talk about that stuff, especially since Naruto is here. He's too young to be hearing about this. And I'm pretty sure Neji doesn't want to hear about your so-called 'goodies'."

"My so-called goodies! Well let me tell you something Sakura, I…" Neji interrupted their conversation. "Can we please change the topic?" he was still looking away from them, but Tenten could've sworn she saw a small blush on his face. She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Okay Neji, we won't talk about our womanly things around you…" she glanced to her left. "…or Naruto."

Sakura removed her hands from Naruto's ears and he looked around. "What happened? I missed the entire conversation!" he whined. "What did you talk about?"

"Oh nothing." Sakura said, getting to her feet. Naruto had a skeptical look on his face, but decided he would drop it…for now. Neji stood up and walked over to his team.

"Alright people, if my calculations are correct, then we have we should at least make it into Ankoku no Kuni by at least sunset and if we keep traveling, we should be at their village entrance by tonight." He explained.

"That's good. The faster we can get out of this forest, the longer we can rest." Tenten said as she knelt down and picked up her large scroll.

"_I wonder what Ankoku no Kuni looks like…" _Sakura thought to herself. She'd been asking herself that very same question since they had left the village. She was curious. Was it dark, was it scary, how did it look and feel? The name had already sent chills down her spine, but now she wanted to actually see the place with her own two eyes.

Neji was also deep in thought. He wasn't thinking about Ankoku no Kuni itself, but more about the thing that was resting in his hip-pouch. The scroll that they were supposed to escort. The Sukuro no Ankoku. He was still thinking about what had happened last night…the way the bandit was sucked into the scroll as soon as he opened it. He replayed that scenario in his head many times, and each time, he wondered…what if that was one of his teammates who had opened the scroll. He was glad none of them did, but still…the artifact that they were escorting was very precious cargo.

"Neji…Neji…" Tenten waved her hand in his face. He snapped out of his trance and glanced at her. "…are you okay?" she asked, worried about her comrade. He rubbed his temples and replied with a slight nod. "Yeah, I'm fine. Are you guys ready to head on out?"

"I'm ready." Tenten said, hands on hips. Sakura put her gloves on her hands and cracked her knuckles. "Ready to go Neji." He nodded his head. "Naruto, how about you?"

"Just a minute!" he yelled, desperately trying to put his pants on. Sakura shook her head and sighed. _"Oh Naruto…"_

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"Ankoku no Kuni…" Naruto said aloud. "…so then does that mean that they're land is completely covered in darkness?" they had just left their previous campsite and was already asking questions. Tenten thought about his question for a minute. "You know, now that I think about it, he may be right. What if there land is covered in darkness?"

"They must have a lot of lights over there." Naruto said. Sakura chuckled. "You're a fool Naruto." He smiled back at her. "I know."

"So Neji, what do you think Ankoku no Kuni is like?" Tenten asked her friend. He stared straight ahead for a minute. It took a minute, but he finally answered her question. "Naruto's answer might be right. It may be completely shrouded in darkness."

Sakura looked straight ahead. _"If's it completely covered in darkness…then the people who live there, they must have somehow adapted to the darkness. How they did it, I don't know. But I plan on finding out."_

They traveled in silence for a few minutes. As they traveled, Tenten noticed something strange. The farther they went…the darker it got. She stopped suddenly. She turned around and was shocked at what she saw. "Hey guys, you have to check this out." They all stopped and turned around. Wide eyes and the occasional gasp were seen and heard.

In the distance, the sun was out. The sun was just starting to set. There was light still out. But…as you traveled closer to Tenten, it started to get darker. How was it getting darker…Neji will explain.

"Were here. We've finally entered Ankoku no Kuni." He said to his team. Sakura looked on in amazement. She looked down and noticed there was a border line. On one side, it was dark, and on the other, it was still light. She took in a deep breath and exhaled. It shocked her a little but she'll was ok.

"You were right Naruto." Sakura said to him. All four of them turned around and stared into the vast darkness of what was Ankoku no Kuni. They saw a few torches stationed among the tree tops. They each provided a small light, but other than that, there was nothing but darkness. Neji looked down and noticed more torches on the ground floor.

"It looks like the ground has more light than up here. Follow me." He jumped off the tree-branch and fell to the ground. Tenten followed shortly. Naruto and Sakura glanced at each other, shrugged their shoulders, and followed their leader.

* * *

"This place is creeping me out." Tenten said as she walked behind Neji. They walked in single-file formation. Neji was the lead. He kept watch over what was going on. Tenten was behind him and Sakura stood behind her, and Naruto brought up the rear. Tenten glanced to her right and could've sworn she saw a pair of beady yellow eyes watching her from the shadows. She gave a small shriek, which caused everyone to jump.

"Tenten, what is it!" Neji asked, getting defensive. She pointed into the shadows, arm shaking a little. "There…in the shadows…there was something watching me." Neji looked in that direction with his Byakugan. He scanned the perimeter. He saw nothing. "Tenten, there's nothing there. Come on, let's keep moving."

The group continued to walk. The darkness and constant seeing of eyes started to creep Tenten out. She grabbed Neji's arm and held on tight. He just sighed. He couldn't do anything in this current situation.

Around that time, Naruto heard something. It sounded something like…footsteps. They were shuffling along the ground, and then they started to pick up speed. It sounded like they were coming towards him. He turned around. There was nothing there. The sound of footsteps had stopped suddenly.

He stared back into the distance for a few seconds. He turned back around and caught up with the group. He leaned forward and whispered into Sakura's ear: "Hey Sakura, did you hear that?" she raised an eyebrow. "Hear what?"

"The footsteps."

"Footsteps? What footsteps?"

"Are you telling me you didn't hear those footsteps at all?"

"Naruto, I didn't hear anything." She said to him. He narrowed his eyes and sighed. "Alright then." He leaned back and walked straight.

Silence fell over the team. The only sound that was heard was their footsteps. Tenten still looked around occasionally…she had a bad feeling she was being watched. Naruto still continued footsteps…whether he was going crazy or not, he knew something was up. Neji and Sakura were either blind or deaf, as they didn't hear or see anything.

At that exact moment, a low growling sound echoed through the forest. They all stopped walking. Naruto looked left and right. "Did you hear that one?" Sakura nodded slowly. "Yeah, I heard that one."

"Neji?" Tenten asked.

"I know, I know." He used his Byakugan and scanned the perimeter around them once again. Once again, he came up with nothing. There were no enemies within range of them. He narrowed his eyes. Something was wrong. "I don't see anything. That's a problem."

The growling sound was heard once again. This time, it was louder…and sounded closer. The group looked around and saw nothing. Tenten looked into the forest and saw another pair of beady yellow eyes watching her. She took in a deep breath and pointed in that direction. "Look, I told you." Their eyes followed her hand and they saw the eyes too.

"So I guess I owe you an apology." Neji said. Tenten glanced at him. "Yeah you do, but not now." As the group stared at the yellow pair of eyes, they completely forgot to watch their backs. Running footsteps were heard again. This time…it was heading straight towards them.

Sakura had a funny feeling in her gut. Something was warning her, telling her to turn around. She didn't listen at first, but then she heard a voice in her head yelling turn around. She listened to the voice and did what it said, but it was too late. Before she could do anything, a large black shadow tackled her to the ground.

It moved so fast that no one hadn't even noticed until they saw her being carried off into the distance. "Sakura!" Naruto yelled. He started to run after her, but Neji had already took action. He dashed forward, hands ready.

"**Hakke Kūshō!" **he yelled at the top of his lungs. He thrust his palm forward and an invisible blast of compressed chakra flew from it. The blast struck the dark shadow that had attacked Sakura and blew the shadow back. Sakura struggled to her feet. Neji ran over to her and helped her up. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. But what was that?" she asked him. They both looked at the shadow that laid across from them. It slowly stood to its feet. Its body was large, almost the size of a full-grown child. It was black as the night with red streaks hiding in its black fur. It yellow piercing eyes were glaring at Neji and Sakura. Its fangs were enlarged to the point where the beast could barely close its mouth. Its claws were also enlarged to the point where they looked like miniature knives. In total, it looked like a huge demonic dog.

"Is that a dog?" Sakura asked Neji. He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, but it looks like it."

"What is that?" Naruto asked himself. Tenten stared at the beast. She didn't know what it was, but she did know this…it was dangerous. That's when she heard a loud barking sound. She turned around and saw another one jump out of the bushes, heading straight for Naruto. Reacting fast, she reached in her hip-pouch and pulled out three kunai. She threw the blades forward. The three kunai struck the beast on its side. It stopped running and just stood there. Crimson liquid oozed from where the kunai struck it. It growled a low husky growl at them.

"Another one?" Naruto asked, staring at the beast. Tenten nodded her head and pulled out two scrolls. "It doesn't look like they're going to let us go peacefully." She said to him. Naruto understood what she meant and formed a hand-seal.

"We don't have time to waste here. Were so close to the village and we can't let these things stop us. Sakura, let's take care of this thing." Neji glared at the beast. Sakura cracked her knuckles and stood in her fighting stance. "Right!"

Another battle was about to take place. This time…it was on Ankoku no Kuni territory.

**[Mysterious Animals Attack The Team! What Will Be the Outcome of This Battle?]**

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**Hakke Kūshō(Eight Trigrams: Empty Palm): **This technique is similar in practice to the Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin, but has a specific target rather than a general area. To perform it, the user precisely pinpoints the enemy's vital points with the Byakugan and releases a high-speed palm thrust. A compressed "vacuum shell" using the Gentle Fist is formed to violently push the opponent away.


	5. Showdown In The Night!

Chapter 5: Showdown in the Night!

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto yelled as one clone appeared beside him. The shadow beast ran towards them, snarling. The monster opened its mouth and tackles one of the Naruto's to the ground. It bit that certain Naruto, and just like that, he disappeared in a puff of smoke. The monster snarled as it looked around for the real Naruto.

"_Good job Naruto. You confused it."_ Tenten thought, preparing her scroll. She opened the scroll and bit her thumb. She drew a symbol on it using her blood. She formed a hand-seal. "Shinobi Dougu Kuchiyose!" a large shuriken popped out of the scroll. She gripped in her hand and then threw it forward.

The monster glanced to its right. It spotted the shuriken coming its way. It ran to it right, dodging the killer shuriken. It stopped running and changed its direction. It was running straight towards Tenten.

The Weapon Mistress pulled out a single scroll. She opened it and waved it in front of her. Several kunai flew out of the scroll. They zoomed through the air. The monster saw this coming.

Using its powerful leg muscles, it jumped into the air. The kunai flew underneath it. Tenten looked at it with amazement. The beast floated over her. It landed behind her, drool dripping from its mouth. A thought popped into her head.

"_Since when can dogs jump that high?"_ she thought, puzzled. She wasn't paying any attention to the beast behind her. It jumped towards her. At that exact moment, Naruto appeared and tackles the beast to the ground.

"You know, most dogs just pee on trees and bark. Why don't you act like that?" he asked it. He felt something hit his gut. He was pushed back by the force of the attack. He held his stomach and looked up. He noticed the monster's hind legs were sticking up. Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"_Did that thing…just kick me?"_ he thought. The monster rolled over on its back and jumped to its feet. It glared at Naruto and then lunged towards him.

"Shānnarō!" Sakura yelled as her fist hit the ground, sending a large powerful shockwave through the ground, breaking the very ground beneath their feet. The Shadow Beast jumped into the air, dodging the shockwave. Sakura watched it float into the air. The beast suddenly dived down towards her, mouth open, fangs in sight. Neji suddenly appeared in front of her. He pulled his palm back. "Hakke Kūshō!" he thrusts his palm forward, sending an invisible wave of compressed chakra forward. The attack hit the beast head-on and blew it back. The monster fell to the ground and landed on its backside. It slowly stood to its feet.

"That's one tough animal." Sakura said, staring at the beast from a distance. Neji narrowed his eyes. The monster stood tall and growled a low husky growl.

"It's getting ready to charge." Sakura noticed, fists clenched. Neji stared at the beast, his Byakugan in full view. He pin-pointed several of the beasts **Tenketsu. **He glanced at Sakura. "Sakura, I need you to get its attention. I'm going to finish this." She nodded her head and dashed forward. The monster snarled and ran towards her. Sakura jumped into the air and flipped over the beast. As she did, she released four kunai from her hands, which struck the beast on its back. They lodged themselves in its back as small streams of blood oozed out of the wounds.

The beast stopped running and looked towards Sakura with devious eyes. It was about to run, but it felt six fast and powerful blows strike its body, It's insides felt like they were on fire. **"****Jūken!"** Neji shouted, striking the monster's back with his palm. The beast fell to the ground, eyes dull and blood gushing from its mouth.

Sakura smiled. "Good job Neji. You got it."

"Yeah, still, that was…" he was suddenly tackled to the ground by a large black shadow.

"Neji!" Sakura cried. She watched as he wrestled with the huge shadow. The shadow turned out to be another monster dog. Sakura eyes widened. She turned around and looked at the dead beast he had previously killed.

"_It's a different one…"_ she thought, eyes narrowing. _"…do then maybe…instead of just two…its possible…it could be a pack!"_

Naruto jumped back, dodging the monster's sharp teeth. He slid along the ground and then came to a sudden stop. He formed a hand-seal and three clones appeared next to him. The clones ran forward. The shadow dog attacked each clone with its teeth, causing them to disappear. Unknown to it, the real Naruto was sneaking up behind it.

He gripped the kunai tighter in his hand as he ran towards it. He got closer, and closer. As he got right behind it, the beast turned around. That was a mistake. Naruto swung the kunai horizontally, cutting the monstrous beast. Blood splattered from the deep gash. The creature fell to the ground.

Naruto took a deep breath. He had managed to stop it. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and gave a small chuckle. He suddenly heard a low growling sound coming from behind him. He turned around and saw not one, but three demons behind him. His eyes widened as he stared at the creatures.

"_More of them?"_ Naruto thought, eyes narrowing. _"Looks like these guys stick together."_ He readied himself when the monster's suddenly charged him.

Tenten took a few steps back. She was cornered by four of the monsters. She bit her bottoms lip out of frustration. One of the creatures took a step towards her. Tenten jumped back. She took a quick glance around her. She saw her teammates.

Neji was using his **Hakkeshou Kaiten** as a defense. A large dome of chakra protected him. He was safe on the inside. On the outside, however, several of those demons surrounded him. He couldn't keep the shield up forever.

Sakura was running away from the dangerous dog that chased her. She ran towards a tree. She focused chakra into her feet and ran up the tree. She jumped into the air and fell from the sky, feet first. She landed on the dog's back, slamming it against the ground and shattering the earth beneath it. She jumped back, putting some distance between her and the dead beast. She relaxed a little, but soon found herself running away from one more.

Naruto ordered two of his shadow clones to attack the beasts. Two of the creatures attacked his clones, thus erasing the clones from existence. The third beast lunged towards him, but he jumped back. He picked out a kunai and threw it. He missed his target and the small knife struck the ground. The beast snarled and chased after the blonde haired ninja.

Tenten narrowed her eyes. She widened them when she heard growling. She turned around and saw one of the beasts charging her. Tenten stepped to the right, avoiding its charge. She pulled out three shuriken and threw them at the beast. Each star hit its intended target. Two more monsters ran towards her. She jumped in the air and watched the monsters run underneath her. She grabbed two kunai and threw them, hitting each monster on the back of their necks. She slowly floated to the ground. There was one more beast remaining. She started to spin while in mid-air. When she was close enough, she used her foot as a weapon. She kicked the beast across its face, knocking it to the ground. She stood there and looked around.

She saw more of the so-called 'demon-dogs' in the shadows, waiting for a chance to strike. She took in a deep breath. Things were getting out of hand. They were fighting a never-ending battle. She started to think. They needed a way to take out their attackers, so they could make a quick escape. An idea popped into her head. It could work…but she needed some time. She looked back at her teammates. She looked back and forth from each one, and then rested her eyes on Naruto.

"Hey Naruto!" he looked towards her with a raised eyebrow. "I have a plan, but I need your help!" he jumped to her, and suddenly landed next to her. She whispered in his ear, and he understood.

"Got it. What about Sakura and Neji?" he asked. Tenten smirked. "I'll give them a heads-up. You just remember your part." She disappeared.

Naruto closed his eyes and formed a hand-seal. He took in a deep breath and concentrated. His eyes suddenly opened. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" a large cloud of smoke covered the area. When the smoke cleared, there were a few hundred Naruto clones scattered all across the field. The shadow demons attacked the clones, one by one, taking them all out with ease. That process continued for a few seconds, and just like that, they were all gone. The demons looked around, becoming enraged when they couldn't find their dinner. They looked around some more, searching everywhere. They sniffed the air and picked up the scents that belonged to the four ninja.

"_They've picked up on out scents. It's now or never."_ Naruto thought. "Tenten, do it! Now!"

"Right!" she shouted. She finished a short chain of hand-seals. The two scrolls beside her suddenly exploded in a cloud of smoke. They had transformed into two twin dragons, and they carried Tenten into the air. When they were high enough, they stopped rising and floated there. The two dragons turned into two open red scrolls with strange symbols. Tenten floated in the middle of the scrolls. She smirked as she looked down into the forest clearing, watching the pack of demon dogs.

"**Sōshōryū****!"** she yelled as she grabbed multiple weapons and threw them into the clearing. The barrage of steel rained down upon the demons, striking them down in an instant. Several if the beasts fell upon the first hit, where as others didn't fall until two or three hits later. The storm of weapons continued for a full minute. When Tenten decided to stop, there were no more monsters left to strike. She cancelled her technique and fell back to the ground. She landed on her two feet and looked back into the clearing. The demons were all defeated. She sighed. She heard a voice come from above her. She looked into the tree-tops and spotted Naruto standing on one of the branches.

"Wow…remind me to never get on your bad side." He said. "So did you do it?"

"Yeah. They're all gone." She answered his question, wiping sweat from her forehead. "Where are Neji and Sakura?"

"They're over here. Neji was hurt pretty bad. She's healing him now as we speak." He jumped down from the branch. He landed next to her. "Follow me."

The two walked through the barely lit dark forest. They came up to a small area in the woods. They walked in and saw Sakura kneeling beside Neji. The Hyuga Genius was in pain and the young medic was desperately trying to heal the wound on his arm.

Tenten saw this and jogged over to him. She knelt down next to him. "Hey, are you okay?" he looked at her with a reassuring smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. One of those dogs cut me with their claws. That wasn't a pretty sight. Did you take care of them?" she nodded her head. "Good. That should make our trip a little easier."

Tenten looked down at Neji's arm. There was a large bloody mark running from his wrist to his elbow. It looked like it hurt. She applauded him for being able to deal with that kind of pain. If it was her in his situation, she would've gone crazy.

"I have a question." Sakura said suddenly.

"What is it?" Neji asked.

"Well, we just went through maybe fifteen minutes or more of fighting animals. If we wanted to escape, why didn't we just let Naruto create an army of clones so we could sneak away?" she asked, curious.

"Even if we did, they would've still followed. They had picked up on our scents. Did you see how they were sniffing around when all of Naruto's clones were gone? They would've followed us if Tenten hadn't of took them all out." Neji explained.

"I understand now." Sakura said, nodding her head.

"So how long until we actually reach their village?" Tenten asked.

"Considering how much the terrain around us has changed, I'd say were in walking distance." Neji answered her question. He glanced over at Sakura. "So Dr. Haruno, am I ready to go?"

"You'll be just fine. I managed to heal the wound." She said, cancelling her technique.

"So captain, what's our next move?" Neji stood to his feet. He stretched his arms and took a deep breath. He glanced at his teammates.

"We deliver this scroll and get the hell out of here. This place is starting to freak me out." Neji explained.

"Hell Yeah!" Naruto cheered. "Let's hurry up and finish this mission!"

"Agreed!" Tenten went along with Naruto's statement.

"Well then what are we standing around for? Let's get back on the road." Sakura said, standing to her feet.

"I couldn't have said it better myself." Neji said with a smirk.

The team walked along the fire-lit trail. Nothing had come after them this time. They heard the occasional screech and growl, but that was it. Tenten stayed on her guard. The first sight of anything suspicious, she was would strike. Neji wished she would calm down. He had mentioned it to her, but she brought up the incident with the 'demon dogs'. Since then, they haven't said a word to each other.

As the team walked, they noticed the path became wider. Soon, they had entered a large cul-de-sac of sorts. The trees were spread out along the open path.

"_So it goes from a straight thin line to a wide open circle…wow…they should try using more simple and complex shapes to further emphasize how dangerous they are."_ Sakura thought, lips forming into a small smile. Neji suddenly stopped walking. Everyone else copied him. Sakura leaned to the side and saw what he was staring at. It was a pitch black sign in the shape of a square with blood red writing on it. She shook her head and sighed. _"A square? That's it, I give up."_

Neji knelt down and read the sign. He repeated each word out-loud. "Trespassers will be eliminated on sight."

"Talk about a warm welcome." Tenten said, shaking her head.

"Maybe we should leave. I like to live." Naruto said.

"It's too late to go back now. Follow me; I have something to show you guys." Neji walked ahead.

He took the team a little further into the forest. He stopped after a few steps. He heard gasps come from his teammate's mouths.

"Whoa." Tenten said, amazed. Naruto and Sakura just stood there, staring at the object in front of them.

"We've finally made it." Neji spoke. Standing in front of them were two large double doors. They were painted black and a blood red kanji symbol for 'shadow' was written on the doors.

"I introduce you guys…to **Kagegakure."**

**[The Team Has Arrived! The Real Adventure…Is Only Beginning!]**

**Tenketsu(Chakra Points): **Nodes from which chakra can be released. There are 361 tenketsu in the body, each one a checkpoint on the Chakra Pathway System. Though ninja use chakra regularly, very few ninja possess any great control over their tenketsu. Even Jōnin are only capable of releasing a small amount of chakra through their hands or feet to increase the power of punches, jumps, or kicks. For the Hyūga clan, whose entire fighting style is based around manipulating the chakra pathway system, controlling the tenketsu is a regular matter.

**Jūken(Gentle Fist): **The Gentle is a style of hand-to-hand combat that aims to inflict internal damage and disrupt a body's Chakra Pathway System so as to ultimately inhibit an opponent's use of chakra. To do this, the user surgically injects a small amount of their own chakra into an opponent's chakra pathway system. The infiltrating chakra can then be used to rupture or divert chakra flow, preventing them from using jutsu.

**Hakkeshou Kaiten(Eight Trigrams: Palms Heavenly Spin): **This jutsu utilizes the chakra control gained through Gentle Fist training to release a huge amount of chakra from all of the user's chakra points. The released chakra blocks any possible attack on the user. The user then spins rapidly to parry the attack, both creating a rotating shield of chakra around themselves and tossing away any nearby attackers. The user can also actively control the size and power of the sphere to suit the situation. This jutsu is only effective when rotating, since the chakra itself is not enough to stop a physical attack. If they cannot rotate, the user becomes vulnerable.

**Sōshōryū**** (Twin Rising Dragons):** First, Tenten places two small scrolls in the floor. When activated, the two scrolls release smoke while also flying and spinning into the air in the shape of two dragons made of smoke. Tenten then jumps between the two scrolls, and starts to rapidly summon and throw all sort of weapons as a powerful barrage. If the initial attack were to fail, she can control the discarded weapons with wires attached to her fingertips for a surprise attack. However, because the weapons are thrown, they are easily countered by wind techniques.

**Kagegakure(Village Hidden In the Shadows)**


	6. Battle at the Village Gate!

Chapter 6: Battle at the Village Gate

"Byakugan!" Neji yelled as the veins around the temple of his eyes bulged out, and his pupils became more distinct. He stared through the large double doors and scanned the village inside. He saw people walking around and there were many tall buildings present. In the middle of the village was a large tower, which Neji assumed was the Kurokage's tower. He deactivated his Byakugan. "Well, I saw people and buildings…nothing out of the ordinary."

"See Naruto, I told you there was nothing strange about this place." Sakura said, directing her gaze towards the blonde-haired boy, who was eyeing the village gates suspiciously. He glanced at Sakura. "Okay, you may be right. But I still have a funny feeling about this."

"You worry too much sometimes." Tenten said suddenly. "Trust me Naruto; nothing is going to happen here. Even if something did happen, you could handle it." Naruto smiled at her words.

"Alright guys, let's finish this mission. The faster we complete this assignment, the faster we can get home." Neji said. The rest of his team agreed and they walked towards the gate.

As they approached, they noticed two guards standing beside it, still as a statue. They both held large spears in their hands, and their eyes were locked on the four leaf-ninja. "Stop." The guards said simultaneously. "Who goes there?"

"Shinobi from Konohagakure. My name is Hyuga Neji. These are my teammates; Tenten, Uzumaki Naruto, and Haruno Sakura. We have something to deliver to your Kage. Something…important."

The guards stood there, unfazed by the words the Jōnin said. A long silence fell between the six Shinobi. Suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, one of the guards swung its spear towards Neji, aiming for his head. Tenten appeared in front of Neji, kunai in hands. She blocked the spear with her kunai and glared into the guard's eyes. She completely forgot about the second one, who appeared beside her, preparing to take her head off. He swung the spear, but Naruto managed to grab it and hold it in place. The guard released his grip on the spear and flipped backwards. Sakura took action. She dashed towards him, right fist glowing with blue Chakra. The guard noticed her and did a few hand-seals.

"**Shadōsutairu: Shadō shokushu!"** Upon saying those words, several small tendrils of pitch black darkness erupted up from the ground. They flew towards Sakura, who stopped running. She launched herself into the air, dodging the tendrils. Suddenly, the tendrils turned around and went after her again. Her eyes widened as they approached her. She felt something grab her and she was pushed to the side. She turned around and saw Naruto. The tendrils pierced through him, killing him on impact.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed. After a few seconds of silence, Naruto's body disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Sakura noticed this and smiled a little. "A shadow clone…"

Tenten managed to knock the spear out of the other guard's hands. She gripped the kunai in her left hand tightly and went for his head. He grabbed her hand just as the kunai approached his forehead. He attacked a pressure point in her wrist, causing her to drop the blade and cry out in pain. Seeing this, Neji intervened and aimed his palm at the guard's chest, but his target flipped backwards, avoiding the attack. Neji activated his Byakugan and ran towards the enemy. The guard did a few hand-seals and slammed his hands on the ground.

"**Shōkan: Shadouhaundo!" **A small cloud of black smoke appeared in front of him. Suddenly, a shadow hound emerged from the smoke and dashed towards Neji, snarling. The Hyuga stopped and stared at it.

"_What the…it's just like the ones we fought in the forest! Could it be that…they were summons?"_ The beast lunged towards Neji, who merely narrowed his eyes. He started to spin in place. A large dome of Chakra appeared around him. "Hakkeshō Kaiten!" The beast crashed into the dome. It was then blown back. It landed in the bushes and disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. The dome disappeared as Neji stopped spinning.

"Look, we don't have time for this. I'm trying to tell you something important. If you would just listen…" The guard interrupted Neji's sentence. "Intruders are not welcome here. You will die." He held his hand out and his spear flew towards him. He caught it and started forming another chain of hand-seals.

"**Shadōsutairu: Shadōsurasshu!"** The guard swung his spear and a dark blast of dark chakra flew towards him. Neji jumped to the side as the blast hit the earth, causing a small explosion. Neji slid across the ground. The guard glared at the Hyuga. He paused for a second. He turned around and blocked the sword that was going for his gut. Tenten gave a sly smirk as she used her free hand, which also held a small sword, and went for his legs. The guard jumped back, dodging the attack. Seizing the opportunity, Tenten pulled out a scroll and swung it forward, unleashing a barrage of kunai and shuriken that flew towards him. The guard soon found himself dodging every single weapon. At least four of her weapons managed to scratch him.

The guard glared at the weapon mistress, who just stood there, hands on her hips. She pointed up into the air. The guard looked up. Naruto's foot came crashing down against the guard's head, slamming him face-first against the ground. Blood trickled down from a small cut on his forehead.

"I told you if anything happened you would be able to handle it." Tenten said. Naruto gave her thumbs up and a smile. Tenten looked around. "Where's Sakura?" Naruto looked around. He spotted her in the distance. "Over there."

The pink-haired kunoichi dodged the second guard's spear by bending backwards. The guard pulled his weapon back and tried to strike her again, but she stepped to the side, easily avoiding the strike. She appeared behind the man and clenched her fist. She slammed her fist against the man's back, sending him flying forward. He crashed against the village gate. He slid down to the ground, unconscious.

Sakura stood up straight. She cracked her knuckles. She walked over to her team. "Is everyone alright?" They all nodded their heads. "Good. So what was up with the sudden attack?"

"I don't know." Neji said.

"Did you show them the scroll? Did you tell them what were here for?" Tenten asked.

"I tried, but they wouldn't listen. They just kept attacking." Neji explained. Naruto sighed and shook his head. "Well…at least they finally stopped attacking. Maybe they'll listen this time." Neji walked over to the guard that was lying on the floor. He knelt down and lifted his head up. The guard was barely awake.

"Hey, guard, listen up. My name is Hyuga Neji, and this is my team. We are here because we had to bring this…" He reached in his hip-pouch and pulled out the scroll and held it in front of the guard's face. "…back to your Kage. Do you understand now? Sorry that we had to get rough with you."

"What the hell is going on over here?" A sudden voice yelled. The team all looked up into the skies. Sakura spotted someone standing on a tree branch. She pointed in that direction. "Look, over there!" The team looked where she was pointing and saw the person. It was a male, about twenty-years old. He had spiky red hair and burning red eyes. He wore a black Jōnin vest over a full black bodysuit. He wore a black headband with the symbol of skull and crossbones on it. There was also a large sword on his back. "Who the hell think you guys are? What did you do to our guards?"

"Hey buddy, they attacked us first! We had the right to defend ourselves!" Naruto shouted back.

"Bull crap! You probably just…" The stranger's eyes then trailed from Naruto to Neji. His eyes widened when he saw what Neji was holding in his hands. "…the Sukoro no Ankoku. I see…you were trying to run away with it."

"Now hold on a second, we were just trying to…" Neji explained, but the stranger cut him off. "Shut up! I don't know how you guys got inside of our village, or how you managed to take the scroll away, but I'll stop you, right here, right now." He did a chain of hand-seals.

"Here we go again…" Tenten said as she readied her scrolls. Sakura stood in her fighting stance. Neji activated his Byakugan. Naruto made a single hand-seal.

"Shadōsutairu: Shadō shokushu!" The stranger yelled. Multiple tendrils of darkness shot up from the ground and rushed towards the group. Naruto opened his eyes and yelled: "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" A cloud of white smoke covered the area. Multiple Naruto clones dashed out. The tendrils pierced through all of the clones at blinding speed, eliminating them upon impact. The tendrils then dashed towards the group. They scattered, avoiding the tendrils as they crashed into the ground.

Tenten swung her scroll, unleashing several kunai towards the man. The stranger jumped down from the tree-branch, avoiding the weapons. He then dashed towards the four, his arm extended outward. A small black ball of energy started to form in it. Neji and Sakura ran towards him. He jumped over Sakura and kicked Neji in the head, slamming him against the ground. Tenten dashed towards him, but he simply tripped her up, causing her to fall. He turned around when he spotted Sakura charging him. He held the dark ball in the air. Sakura stopped when she saw it. The stranger dashed towards her. Out of nowhere, Naruto appeared in front of her. There was a spiraling blue ball of chakra in his hand. He ran towards the stranger.

"**Shadōbōru!"** The stranger shouted.

"**Rasengan!"**Naruto yelled. The two attacks clashed against one another. The stranger and Naruto bold held their own for a few seconds, but soon, the two attacks imploded on each other, creating a small explosion that expanded outward. Sakura noticed the explosion and watched from a distance. The wind from the explosion was so powerful that it blew Sakura, Tenten, and Neji away. After the explosion disappeared, everything was calm and quiet. There was a large crater in the middle of the field.

Naruto, along with his team, were spread out among the forest floor, all unconscious. The mystery stranger was lying on top of a bush. He was unconscious as well.

A few minutes had passed before someone had finally come to see what the problem was.

"It seems as though there was a scuffle out here." A male voice said. It was deep and rough. "The guards are unconscious."

"Looks like Kenji is as well." A female voice said. She looked around the area and spotted the four leaf-ninja spread out across the ground. "What do we have here?"

"They look like Konoha Shinobi." The male said. "Well, well, well…look at this. The Sukoro no Ankoku…this must've been what the fuss was about."

"These are the Konoha Shinobi who are escorting the scroll. Kenji and the guards must've thought they were stealing it. Come on; let's get them to the Hospital. They'll explain what happened when they wake up. Grab the Konoha Shinobi, I'll get Kenji."

**[Who Are These Mysterious Strangers? The Story…Is Only…Beginning…]**

**Shadōsutairu: Shadō shokushu (Shadow Style: Shadow Tendrils): **A technique used by Kagegakure Shinobi. This technique allows the user to create sharp tendrils of shadows that fly towards the enemy, piercing through whatever it comes into contact with. The user can control the direction in which the tendrils go in.

**Shōkan: Shadouhaundo (Summoning: Shadow Hound): **A technique used by Kagegakure Shinobi. This allows them to summon a large shadow hound, which can be used for offensive purposes.

**Shadōsutairu: Shadōsurasshu (Shadow Style: Shadow Slash): **A technique used by Kagegakure Shinobi. This technique allows the user to focus their shadow chakra into a sharp object, and once they swung their sword, the chakra comes forward in a dark blast that is shaped like a crescent moon. This technique deals a great deal of damage.

**Shadōbōru (Shadow Ball): **This technique allows the user to create a ball of chakra and use it for offensive purposes. The user must first concentrate their shadow chakra into the palm of their hands and shape it into a solid ball. The ball then becomes black and heavy, and can deal a great amount of damage if it connects.

**Rasengan (Spiraling Sphere): **A powerful technique that allows the user to create a ball of spiraling chakra and attack their opponent. It deals a great deal of damage if it connects.


	7. The Mysterious Shadow Village

Chapter 7: The Mysterious Shadow Village

Sakura slowly opened her eyes. As she did, a bright light struck her vision, causing her to shut them again. She waited for a few seconds. She opened her eyes again and the light didn't blind her this time. She rubbed her eyes as she struggled to sit up straight.

She looked around the room. The floor tiles were white, so were the walls and ceiling. There was a television on the opposite side of the room. On the far left, there was a huge glass window, which gave a beautiful view of the village. She glanced to her right and saw Tenten, resting on a hospital bed. She then realized something.

"_I'm…in the hospital?"_ She asked herself, still looking around the small room. She got up from the bed and walked towards the window. She put her hand on the glass and stared through it. _"What happened? Why am I here? How did I get here?" _She turned around when the door to their room slowly opened.

A woman, no older than twenty, stepped into the room. Her long black hair stopped at her waist, and her onyx eyes were looking directly at Sakura. The woman had on a sleeveless black top that exposed her navel and tight black shorts. She finished the look off with a pair of black high-heeled boots. Her headband, which was black in color, sported the symbol of a skull on it.

"It looks like the Konoha Kunoichi are starting to wake up." She said, looking at Sakura from head-to-toe. "I thought you guys would be out much longer."

"Who…who are you?" Sakura asked hesitantly. "Why am I in the hospital? What happened?"

"Calm down." The woman said, holding a hand up. She pointed towards the empty bed. "I suggest you sit down and rest. You look tired." Sakura looked at the bed. She figured there was nothing wrong, so she sat back down. Her eyes then trailed back towards the woman.

"My name is Murasakki Kumiko. I am a Jōnin-level Kunoichi of Kurogakure. The reason why you're in the hospital is because I, alongside my teammate, found you and your team unconscious at the village gate. I was hoping you could tell me what happened, because I don't really know the full story."

"Unconscious?" Sakura repeated the word under her breath. She then started to remember what happened. "The guards attacked us. We managed to defeat them, but then this other guy showed up. He used some type of technique…and…his technique collided against Naruto's Rasengan…and there was an explosion. That must be how I got knocked out."

"I see." Kumiko said, narrowing her eyes. "Now…can you tell me why the guards attacked you?"

"I don't know. All we did was introduce ourselves to them and in the next second, they just attacked us." Sakura explained. "We didn't do anything to provoke them."

"I understand. It's okay, our guards are how you say…a little uneasy. Everyone in the village is. We've been getting ambushed by Rogue Shinobi every other day. It's been a mess." Kumiko explained, shaking her head. "I apologize for them. Still…you guys gave them a beating they'll never forget."

Sakura chuckled a little. She then remembered something else. She looked at Kumiko, a look of urgency in her eyes. "Where are Neji and Naruto?"

"Who?"

"My other teammates...the two guys who were with us." Sakura explained.

"Oh, them. They're resting in the room next door." Kumiko explained. "Well, I have to get going." She reached down in her hip-pouch and pulled out the Sukoro no Ankoku. She waved at Sakura. "I found this in your teammates belongings. Thank you for returning it to us. I'll take it to the Kurokage so guys can rest up."

"Oh, uh, thank you." Sakura said, surprised at the strangers kindness. Kumiko waved good-bye and left the room.

The Kurokage's office was a medium-sized room. The walls were painted black, with red trims going along the sides. There was a large bookcase in the corner of the wall that was filled with books. A large wooden desk was placed in the middle of the room. Stacks of paper were present. Behind the papers…sitting in the red chair…was the Kurokage himself.

He was a tall man with a muscular frame. His spiky long red hair was hidden underneath his Kage hat. Burning red eyes stared at the papers as a swift hand stamped multiple documents. He continued this for a few seconds until a sudden knock on his door disturbed him.

"Enter." He said in a low, deep, commanding voice. The door pushed open and in walked Kumiko, a proud smile on her face. "Can I help you?"

"No, but I can help you." She pulled out the scroll and placed it on his desk. He stared at it and then glanced up at her. "What? Did I do something wrong?"

"Where are the Konoha Shinobi I asked to bring this to me?" He asked.

"They're in the hospital."

"What? What happened? What did you do to them?"

"Nothing. The guards at the gate ambushed them. They took out the guards, but Kenji arrived and things got…complicated. They're resting in the hospital."

"That boy…always doing something. Listen; bring them to me when they wake up. I want to personally thank them myself."

"Yes sir." Kumiko left his office.

"All I'm saying is that last fight didn't count! He caught us by surprise!" Naruto exclaimed. He and Neji had just woke up from their unconscious states. "That guy…if I ever see him again…"

"What will you do?" Neji asked. "The chances of you meeting him again are slim. We're only here to return the Sukoro no Ankoku, and then we'll leave. We're not here to fight anyone."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I understand. I still want a rematch." Naruto said. Neji just chuckled. A knock at the door caught their attention. "Come in." Sakura and Tenten walked in, all dressed and ready to go.

"I told you they were up Sakura." Tenten said, causing Sakura to roll her eyes. "So, are you guys ready to go home?"

"Home?" Naruto asked. "We have to return the scroll first."

"We don't have to. One of the Kunoichi from the village offered to take it back for us." Sakura told him. "We can leave right away if we'd like."

"Oh yeah, then let's get out of here!" Naruto exclaimed.

"But I want to meet the Kurokage himself." Sakura spoke up. "I want to see how he looks, how he acts. After that, then we can leave."

"Who said you get to make the decisions? You are not the leader of this time." Tenten said, giving off a smirk. Sakura stuck her tongue out at her.

"Calm down you guys." Neji said. "I'm the leader of this team. Considering what we've been through, I suggest that we…" A voice interrupted their conversation.

"What the hell are you guys doing in our hospital?" The four turned around and noticed it was the same spiky-haired man from before, the same one who attacked them from before. He was furious. Naruto clenched his fists. "I've been waiting for you to show up!"

The man reached for his sword and Naruto reached for a kunai. Before they could draw their weapons, a voice shouted: "Kenji, what the hell are you doing to our guests?" They all looked down the hall and spotted Kumiko standing next to a man in his late twenties. He had jet-black hair that was clipped in a ponytail and dark brown eyes. He had on the standard Kurogakure Jōnin attire. The red-haired man, Kenji, glanced at Kumiko with a confused expression on his face. "Guests?"

"That's what I said." She glared at the man. "Our guests. And you are going to treat them with kindness and respect, or else you'll answer to me. Understand?"

"What the…Kentaro, did you hear what she just said? Why aren't you over here attacking these guys?" Kenji asked, confused at his friends actions.

"You don't know the full story Kenji. Be quiet and just listen." Kentaro said, leaning back against the wall. "Let Kumiko explain the story. I'm pretty sure you'll understand once she finishes."

Kenji glared at the Konoha Shinobi for a few seconds. He relaxed and glared at Kumiko. "Talk."

"Excuse me? Watch your tone Kenji; I'm not the one to play with." Kumiko said, returning his glare with one of her own. "Anyway, these are the four Konoha Shinobi that were asked to transport the Sukoro no Ankoku back to Kurogakure. They were doing their jobs correctly until you and the guards attacked them. Do you understand now?"

"Yeah, whatever." He glanced at the Konoha team. "Heh, I'm surprised that you weaklings made it this far." He walked off.

"Weakling? I'll show him a weakling?" Neji and Sakura held Naruto back. Kumiko watched Kenji walk off and then sighed. She glanced at the four Shinobi who stood across from her.

"I'm sorry about that. He's just been…a little edgy lately. Also, the Kurokage would like to see all four of you. He wants to thank you guys personally."

The six walked through Kurogakure. The mood of the village was dark and edgy, but they didn't let it get to them. They passed by some destroyed buildings and noticed that people were working on them. They received stares from the surrounding villagers. Their glares lied directly on the Konoha team. They could feel the hatred and anger in their stares. They tried to ignore it, but they could feel themselves cracking under the pressure.

Finally, Naruto cracked. "Hey! What the hell are you guys staring at?" The villagers all directed their glares on the blonde. Sakura, reacting fast, grabbed the loud-mouth and put him in a headlock. "I'm so sorry everyone! He didn't mean it! He's such a crazy boy!" The villagers stared at them for a while. They then went about their business, ignoring the Konoha team. Sakura glared at Naruto afterwards.

"You idiot! Are you trying to get us killed?" She yelled as she started choking him. "Need I remind you, we are in a totally different village surrounded by complete strangers! They will not hesitate to strike down and kill us!" She said that last line quietly. She released her grip and he took two steps back. He rubbed his neck gently.

"Calm down guys, don't kill each other." Kumiko said. "It's not your fault, it's just that our village has been getting ambushed by rogue Shinobi. Everyone is edgy."

"But if these Shinobi are rogue, why are they looking at us like were the enemy? We have the headbands on, we represent a village. What's up with that?" Tenten asked.

"You'll soon find out." Everyone had turned towards Kentaro. "The Kurokage will explain everything to you. I feel as though your mission isn't complete yet." He walked forward, not even giving them a glance.

"_Our mission isn't complete yet?"_ Neji thought. _"What does he mean?"_

"Come on, the Kurokage is just a few steps forward. Please follow us." She walked forward. The Konoha Shinobi merely shrugged their shoulders and followed.

The Kurokage had finally finished all his paperwork. He sighed as he relaxed in his chair. A knock on his door disturbed him. "Come in." Kumiko and Kentaro entered, followed by Team Neji. The Kurokage opened his eyes and looked at his visitors. He stretched his arms and sat up straight.

"These are the Konoha Shinobi who returned your scroll." She pointed to them.

"The Konoha Shinobi eh?" The Kurokage gave a sly smirk. "I just wanted to thank you guys personally for returning my scroll to me. This scroll is an important document that belongs to our village, and if it fell into the wrong hands, there would be consequences."

"Consequences?" Sakura repeated. "What kind of consequences?"

"Terrible things." He answered her question. "Things that could put our entire village at stake."

"Oh my…" Tenten said, shocked.

"Kurokage-sama…" Kentaro spoke up. "…are you going to tell them the real reason you called them here?"

"Yes, I guess I should." The Kurokage folded his arms across his chest.

"The real reason? I thought the scroll was the main reason you wanted us to come." Neji questioned. "There was something else."

"Yes, there is. The scroll was important itself, but there is something else…and I feel as though your help could actually turn the battle in our favor."

"What is it?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know if you know this, but the people of my village…they don't trust outsiders anymore. I'm pretty sure you've already experienced it. My son, Kenji, the one who attacked you guys, is full of anger and hatred." The Kurokage explained. "The villagers must've given you some type of trouble as well. There's a reason why."

No one said anything. The Kurokage continued to speak: "You see, there is this group of Rogue Shinobi. They call themselves the **Shadoudesutoroiyā.** They are a group consisting of entirely Renegade Shinobi from the different villages all over. All of the members have a headband with a symbol that represents a different village. Konohagakure, Sunagakure, Kumogakure, these are just a few of the village headband we've seen. These Shinobi…are trying to destroy us. My people are ready to launch a full-out war with all of the other villages. At first, I was ready too, but then I realized…"

"Realized what?" Tenten wanted him to continue.

"We haven't done anything wrong to invoke the wrath of all of the villages. We've minded our own business. So I figured…this must be a nothing but a scam or something. I thought it was a joke at first, but then the attacks kept coming and coming. I've lost some Shinobi and some of my buildings have been destroyed. My village cannot keep living like this. So I went out on a limb…I asked for your help. I figured, that if they actually helped, then it couldn't be them. The scroll was stolen, yes, that part is true, but you're village captured the person who did and our scroll, so I asked for it back."

"I see…" Neji said, nodding his head.

"The real reason I called you guys here is…I want your help." He said. "My Shinobi are getting tired. They can't keep this up. So I told your Hokage what was really happening and she agreed to send some back-up. So please…I beg of you Konoha Shinobi…would you help me and my people with this threat?"

"Of course we will!" Naruto exclaimed. "Why didn't you just ask that in the first place? We would love too!"

"It sounds like you guys have a predicament on your hands." Neji said. "These Rogue Shinobi are impersonating other villages…they're trying to cause a war among the Great Nations."

"All the more reason to help the Shadow Village out and put an end to this." Tenten stated.

"Exactly. They deserve to be stopped. Kurokage-sama, we would love to help you with this problem." Sakura said, nodding in his direction.

"Thank you, my village will appreciate it. I will make sure your stay here is enjoyable."

"Do you know when they're going to attack?" Neji asked.

"No, it's always a surprise attack." Kumiko was the one who answered this question. "Either they charge directly in the village, or they set off a bomb somewhere…people will die, and it's always on our side. We patrol around the village every day and night, but we never mind anything. They're a troublesome bunch."

"I see…so you never know when they could attack." Neji said.

"Exactly. And if you ask me, I feel as though this is a set-up." Kumiko said. "I feel as if someone in this village is in their group and is slowly trying to take us down. "

"A coup d'état maybe?" Sakura asked. Kumiko nodded her head. Sakura clenched her fists. "That's a dirty move. Why would someone do that?"

"To most likely remove me from power." The Kurokage spoke up. "Either that, or they want our village destroyed."

"Well it doesn't matter what they want, just know that we have your back. We'll help you put an end to these guys, no matter what happens!" Naruto exclaimed, giving off a grin.

"Heh, what makes you think you guys will be of any help?" They all turned around and spotted Kenji standing in the doorway. "If an entire village can't take these guys down, what makes you think four Konoha brats will do any better?"

"We need all the help we can get. No matter how many we kill on their side, their forces just seem to keep growing. It's only a matter of time before they launch a full out assault on our village. Kenji, we need them." Kumiko pleaded.

"No we don't. We have enough. Besides, these guys are weaklings. They couldn't even beat me." Kenji said with a smirk.

"You ambushed us from behind. It was a sneak attack." Tenten stated, taking a step towards Kenji. He glanced at her and laughed. "Even if it wasn't, you still wouldn't be able to take me on."

"I'm tired of you running your mouth. If you want to fight, we'll fight. Anytime, anyplace, you just name it." Naruto said, glaring at the red-haired man.

"Fine, we'll fight at…" Neji interrupted them. "Hold on a minute." All eyes were on him. "I don't appreciate how you just talk down on my team. They're nowhere close to a weakling. I'm the captain of this team, and I'll defend their honor and prove you wrong. I'll fight you."

"No Neji, let me handle this one." Naruto said.

"No Naruto…" He glared at Kenji, who merely smirked. "…he's my opponent. I'll fight him…and I'll show him that we 'Konoha brats' aren't so pathetic."

"Heh, you've got spunk. I'll give you that. But I'm telling you…you will lose this fight. That can be predicted. Meet me at the Open Field around noon tomorrow. I'll prove to you just how much of a weakling you guys are." Kenji left the room.

"That boy…I'll get him for this." The Kurokage said, fists tightening.

"No, it's okay." Neji spoke up. "He wants to talk, let him run his mouth. But tomorrow is a different story…its time somebody put him in his place…and I'll be the one to do it."

**[Neji accepts Kenji's challenge…who will emerge as the victor?]**

**Shadoudesutoroiyā (Shadow Destroyers)**


	8. Neji vs Kenji

Chapter 8: Neji vs. Kenji

The sun was floating high in the sky. Even though the sun was out, the village of Kurogakure was still shrouded in darkness. Down below, Team Neji stood in the Open Field, the area where Neji and Kenji were going to have their match. The name fits the place well, seeing as how the area was a large open circular field. Trees surrounded the field as did lit torches, which burned with red fire. There were a few boulders scattered out in the field, but they were spaced out evenly between each other. After a few minutes of waiting, Kenji arrived. Kentaro and Kumiko weren't too far behind.

Upon seeing the four Konoha Shinobi, Kenji smirked. "So you actually decided to show up? I'm surprised…I thought you were going to run away."

"Where's the fun in that?" Neji asked. "Besides, this is just a friendly sparring session. Why would I run?"

"Because you don't want me to embarrass you in front of your teammates, isn't that right?" Kenji asked.

"The only one who'll be getting embarrassed is you." Neji retorted, narrowing his eyes. "Now, are we going to fight or just talk?"

"Heh, you sound confident." Kenji said with a smirk. "This might be a little fun."

Kentaro walked forward and stood between both fighters. He looked at them both and then cleared his throat. "Listen up; this is just a sparring match. There will be no death or any major injuries, understand?" They both nodded their heads in agreement. "Alright then…" Kentaro took a step back. "…whenever you're ready…begin!"

In a flash, Kenji started to perform a chain of hand-seals. "Shadōsutairu: Shadō shokushu!" Several black tendrils of darkness erupted from the earth beneath them. The tendrils dashed towards Neji, who simply activated his Byakugan. He moved to his left, easily dodging the tendrils as they crashed into the ground, lifting up rock and debris.

Neji seized this opportunity and dashed towards Kenji. He concentrated his Byakugan on Kenji, pinpointing all of his chakra points. He readied his palm as he closed in on his target. "Jūken!" He shouted as his palm collided against Kenji's chest. Suddenly, Kenji's body disappeared in a cloud of smoke, and all that was left behind was a small log. Neji narrowed his eyes. _"A substitution?"_

"He used a substitution just before Neji's attack landed." Tenten pointed out. "Now, where is Kenji hiding?"

Neji stood there, motionless. He used his Byakugan to search the area. He found no traces of Kenji. Out of nowhere, the Shadow Jōnin appeared behind the Leaf Captain. He unveiled his sword and swung his blade, aiming for Neji's head. Reacting fast, the Hyuga Genius pulled out a kunai and blocked the sword strike. The two stood like that for a few seconds. They then began to attack each other, neither one showing signs of backing down. Neji spotted an opening and went for it, but Kenji avoided it and launched himself into the air.

He glared at the Hyuga Genius. His sword started to glow with a black aura. "Shadōsutairu: Shadōsurasshu!" He shouted as he swung his blade, releasing a shadow blast towards Neji. The Hyuga Genius merely flipped backwards, dodging the attack. As soon as Kenji landed on the ground, he ran towards Neji, sword in hand. He started swinging rapidly, forcing the Leaf Captain to dodge every one of his attacks.

Kenji continued to swing and Neji continued to dodge. Neji jumped back to avoid the next strike, but he ended up bumping against a tree. This surprised him for a second, but he quickly regained his composure when he spotted Kenji rushing him. Neji ducked just as Kenji swung his sword, slicing the large Oak Tree in half. Neji rolled to his left. He quickly jumped to his feet.

"Hakke Kūshō!" He thrust his palm forward, sending out a blast of compressed chakra towards Kenji. The older male wasn't able to move in time and thus, he felt the full-force of the attack. The blast blew him backwards, but he managed to stop himself from being carried away too far. Naruto and the team smiled.

"Way to go Neji! You got him!" Naruto cheered.

"Hit him again!" Tenten shouted. Sakura just shook her head and sighed. _"These two…"_

"You got lucky. I let you hit me." Kenji announced, standing to his feet. Neji gave off a sly smirk. "Whatever you say."

"You won't get another hit on me. I'll make sure of it." Kenji started forming a chain of hand-seals. On the last seal, he gave off a smirk. "Let's see you dodge this one. **"Shadōsutairu:-Bashira raijingu!"** Upon saying those words, the ground started to shake.

"_What's going on?"_ Sakura asked herself. _"Why is the ground shaking?"_

Kenji slammed his hands on the ground. "Take this!" Suddenly, several large sharp pillars started to rise up out of the ground. They were heading straight for Neji. The Hyuga genius lifted himself into the air, dodging the pillars. Kenji smiled to himself. "Not yet: Shadōsutairu: Shadō shokushu!" The shadow tendrils erupted from the ground again, this time, flying into the air. Neji spotted them approaching. He started dodging the tendrils, but no matter how many times he dodged, they just kept attacking. Eventually, he landed on the ground, but soon found himself on the move as one of shadow pillars erupted from the ground beneath his feet.

He continued to dodge the tendrils, while at the same time, trying to keep away from the pillars that popped up from the ground unexpectedly.

Kumiko smiled to herself. _"The Leaf kid is good, but he can't dodge the pillars and the tendrils all at once. He's eventually going to get tired, and then bam, he'll be hit."_

Kentaro just watched the fight in silence.

"_I can't keep this up forever."_ Neji thought to himself. _"Dodging just one of these would be easy, but both of them at the same time is a little difficult."_ His foot touched the ground and a pillar suddenly popped up, knocking the Hyuga off balance. _"Oh no!"_ He thought in his mind as he tried to recapture his balance, but he couldn't. The shadow tendrils hit him head on, smashing him against the ground and lifting rock and debris into the air.

"_Got him…"_ Kenji thought to himself with a smirk on his face.

"Neji!" Tenten yelled out to him. "Are you okay?"

There was no response. Everything went quiet for a few seconds. Kentaro closed his eyes and lowered his head. "It seems that this match is…" Before he could finish his sentence, Neji suddenly appeared behind Kenji, palms ready.

"This isn't over yet!" Neji announced. Kenji simply smiled. "I agree." He formed a hand-seal and black shadows rose up from the earth and started wrapping around Neji's body. They covered him from head-to-toe, completely trapping him. Kenji stood to his feet. **"Shadōsutairu: Shadoupurizun."** He said. "Looks like you're trapped in there. We can consider this match as good as over."

Suddenly, a small light started to shine through the dark prison. Kenji noticed this and watched it for a few seconds. More light started to shine through the dark prison. Soon, there was light coming out on all sides of the prison. **"Jūkenpō Ichigekishin!" **Neji shouted as the dark prison suddenly exploded into tiny pieces. Kenji narrowed his eyes as he watched the Hyuga stand to his two feet. He simply scoffed.

"How did you break free?" Kenji asked. "That technique is supposed to be an ultimate capture technique. Nothing gets in, nothing gets out."

"You're technique is not perfect by any means. It has one flaw, and I was able to locate it with my Byakugan. Once I did, well…you know the rest." Neji explained, a smirk resting on his face. "Now, shall we continue?" The Hyuga Genius stood in his Gentle Fist stance.

Kenji glared at the Hyuga Genius and smirked. He jumped back and stood ready.

"_How did he get out of there?"_ Kumiko was confused. _"That technique is unbreakable. That's impossible."_

"_Alright Neji, that's how you do it!"_ Tenten thought in her head. _"Show this guy with what we Konoha Shinobi are made of!"_

Before their eyes, Neji and Kenji ran towards one another. Neji thrust his palm forward, aiming for Kenji's chest, but he blocked it by grapping the Hyuga's hand. Kenji countered by swinging his sword, but Neji struck a Chakra point in Kenji's arm, causing him to drop the blade.

Kenji winced at the pain but continued his assault. He released Neji's hand and aimed his fist at his face, but he blocked it by using his arm. Kenji used his leg and attacked Neji's, tripping the young Hyuga and causing him to fall on the ground. Kenji grabbed his blade and brought it down towards Neji, but he rolled out the way just as the sound struck the ground.

Neji seized the opportunity and attacked Kenji. He did three palm thrusts. Kenji dodged two of them, but took a direct hit to the stomach on the last one. Neji continued his assault by launching a roundhouse kick. Kenji dodged the attack by crouching. He countered by delivering a swift but powerful uppercut to Neji's jaw, launching the male high into the air.

Kenji then threw his sword towards Neji, but the Hyuga countered. He started spinning in mid-air. Very soon, a shield of chakra appeared around him. "Hakkeshō Kaiten!" The sword crashed against the shield, but was blown back. The blade struck the ground right in front of Kenji. Neji floated back to the ground.

"You're pretty good." Kenji said in-between breaths. "I guess not all you Konoha brats are weaklings."

"Heh, thanks for the compliment." Neji said in-between breaths. "Still, this match isn't over yet. What do you say we finish it?"

"I agree." Kenji said. The two ran towards one another, determined to finish the fight in the next blow. Just as they were getting ready to attack one another, a loud explosion went off in the middle of the village. They stopped running and looked to where the sound came from. Grey smoke rose into the sky. Suddenly, more explosions went off, coming from different areas in the village.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked frantically.

"They sounded like explosions." Sakura said. "Sounds like they came from the village."

"It seems that they've begun their assault." Kentaro suddenly spoke up. All eyes were on him. "Who's attacking?"

"The Shadoudesutoroiyā." Kentaro explained. He took a step forward. "The village is under attack. Come on, we have to get back to the village."

**[The Village Is Attacked! Who are the Shadoudesutoroiyā?]**

**Shadōsutairu:-Bashira raijingu (Shadow Style: Rising Pillars): **This technique forces pillars made of shadows to rise up from the ground. They can be used for offensive or defensive purposes.

**Shadōsutairu: Shadoupurizun (Shadow Style: Shadow Prison): **This technique creates shadows that wrap around the target, encasing them in a prison, restricting their movements. The technique is "supposedly" unbreakable.

**Jūkenpō Ichigekishin (Gentle Fist Style: One Body Blow): **Using their ability to expel chakra from every chakra point on their body, a member of the Hyūga clan can hit their opponent with a blast of chakra that will send them flying away from the user.


	9. Intruders!

Chapter 9: Intruders!

Explosions went off all around the village. The villagers were all running and screaming. Buildings collapsed and fell over as the explosions caused widespread damage. Smoke floated into the air as fires broke out in the village. The Shinobi of the village tried to fight back, but they were useless against the invaders as they were easily taken down. Suddenly, Kenji and the others appeared in the village. They all started coughing once they inhaled the smoke.

"It looks like our invaders have already started." Kentaro pointed out, holding his arm over his sleeve to block out the smoke. "It seems they've packed more explosions than usual." Another explosion went off in the village, destroying some of their buildings.

"They're trying to destroy the village!" Kumiko said, looking around. "We have to stop them!"

"Alright, calm down." Kenji told her. He glanced towards Neji. "Alright, this is where you're mission starts. Help us repel these invaders."

"Understood." Neji said.

"But where do we begin? They could be anywhere!" Tenten shouted.

"We'll have to split up to cover more ground." Kentaro explained. "Kenji, you and Kumiko take the north end of the village. I'll head towards the south. Meanwhile, you guys…" he directed his attention towards Team Neji. "…can take the east and west. We need to get these invaders out of here before they really do some damage."

"Okay. Sakura, you and Tenten head for the west and Naruto and I will take the east. Now that you have your objectives, let's repel these invaders."

"Right!" They all split up and went in their separate directions.

* * *

Sakura and Tenten dashed through the village. As they looked around, they saw that buildings were toppled over and people were lying on the ground. The kunoichi continued their run forward. Suddenly, they both stopped. A kunai whizzed through the air and was headed straight for them. The kunai landed right at Tenten's feet.

"Well, well, well, looks like I have some company." A male voice said. The figure stepped out of the smoke and showed himself to the ladies. He had black gelled up hair and black eyes. He wore a short-sleeved blue shirt with a raised collar and white shorts with blue Shinobi sandals. On his forehead was a blue forehead protector, and the symbol represented Konohagakure. "Two ladies huh? And then they both happen to be very pretty…today must be my lucky day."

"You…" Sakura took a step towards him. "…that headband you're wearing…you have no right to wear it!"

"On the contrary…" The man responded. "…I have every right to wear this headband. After all, I am from the Leaf after all."

"That's a lie." Tenten said.

"It is? Prove it?" The male asked. Tenten pointed at her forehead protector. "We are real kunoichi of Konohagakure. That headband that you're wearing is fake and it doesn't justify you're loyalty to Konoha."

"Easy, easy. I'm just following orders." The male said, raising his hands defensively.

"Orders? Who told you to come here?" Sakura asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"My boss. He told me to come here." The man said. "He told me to do this. Apparently, this village isn't so innocent. If only you girls knew the real story."

"The story here is that you guys are attacking another village while wearing headbands that don't represent your village." Sakura said. "That is a crime and you will be punished for it."

The man shook his head and sighed. "It's always the pretty ones who want to kill me." He glanced up at the two Kunoichi. "Fine, fine. I'll play with you guys for a little while. Oh, and another thing…call me Ryo."

* * *

Kenji and Kumiko arrived at their planned destination. They looked around and saw nothing but carnage and destruction. Kumiko let out a frustrated sigh and slammed her foot on the ground. "Where are they?"

"Calm down, don't lose your cool." Kenji warned her. "Stay focused. There around here somewhere."

"It seems that they're looking for us." A female voice said. "Should we introduce ourselves?"

"Might as well, there's no point in hiding ourselves anymore." A second female voice said. Two figures suddenly appeared in front of Kenji and Kumiko. They both were women. One of them had long blonde hair that was clipped in two ponytails. She had big blue eyes. She wore a blue sleeveless top that exposed her navel and a blue skirt which covered a pair of blck shorts. he wore blue ninja sandals on her feet. There was a headband tied around her neck. It had the symbol of Sunagakue.

The second one had shoulder-length blue hair and had dark-blue eyes. She wore a long-sleeved jacket with a fur hood and navy blue pants. She wore blue ninja sandals as well. Tied around her forehead was a headband, which sported the symbol of Sunagakure on it as well.

"It seems as though the Shadow Shinobi have come out to play." The blonde-haired girl said. She glanced over at Kenji and gave off a seductive smile. "You're a cutie."

"Mikoto, stay focused." The blue-haired girl warned the other. "We are in dangerous territory. Stay on your guard."

"Calm down Sazume." Mikoto said, rolling her eyes. "No need to be so serious." Sazume said nothing while she stared at the two Shadow Shinobi in front of her. Mikoto glared at them too and smiled. "You handle that girl Sazume, I hate fighting women. They're always pulling on somebody's hair. I'll handle the man right here."

"You won't get away with this!" Kumiko exclaimed as she jumped towards Sazume, a kunai in hand and murderous intent in her eyes. Sazume's eyes narrowed as she pulled out a kunai and stood ready.

While those two fought one another, Mikoto smiled at Kenji, who merely took a step back. "I'll make sure to take my time with you." With those words said, she dashed towards Kenji.

* * *

Naruto and Neji stood in the center of the village. Neji had his Byakugan activated as he scanned the surrounding areas. Naruto squinted his eyes as he desperately tried to see anything thrugh the pitch black smoke. Growing frustrated, Naruto turned towards Neji and asked: "Have you found anybody yet?"

"No." Neji responded. "What about you?" Naruto simply shook his hand. Neji narrowed his eyes. Suddenly, he picked up on something. A small object was flying their way. After getting a better look at it, he realized it was a kunai. He stepped to the side just as the kunai landed between him and Naruto. Thw two stared at it for awhile before realizing a paper bomb was attached to the blade. The two jumped away just as the bomb went off, causing a huge explosion.

When the smoke and debris died down, Neji and Naruto found themselves confronted by two men. The men were obviously twins; they had the same facial structure, hair color, and eye color. Both of their hair was brown in color and messy in style. Their eyes were a deep shade of hazel. The only distuingish thing about them was their outfits.

The one on the left wore a black flak jacket over a full blood red bodysuit, which was accompanied by a pair of black ninja sandals. He wore a headband on his forehead and the symbol this time represented the village of Kumogakure.

The one on the right, however, instead of the flak jacket, he just wore a full bodysuit. His was black in color and a portion of the jacket covered the lower half of his face. He too wore black ninja sandals and his headband was worn around his forehead, with the symbol of Kumogakure present.

Neji narrowed his eyes. "I take it you guys are the invaders?"

"You could say that..." the one on the left said. "..or you could call us saviors."

"Saviors? Why the hell would we do that when you're obviously trying to destroy this village. You guys aren't saviors, you guys are destroyers." Naruto said, glaring at the males who stood across from him.

"You must not understand the full story about this village. I'm guessing they called you here to help stop us, but yet, we're the good guys." The one in the bodysuit explained.

"Give me a reason of how you guys are in any type of way good." Naruto demanded.

"Well you see..." before the one in the red jumpsuit could finish, the other cut him off. "You talk too much Kaiba. They've obviously made their choice. We have one objective and one objective only: To destroy this village and all of its inhabitants."

"Fine, fine. I'll stop talking. Yaiba..." Kaiba said, glacing over at Neji. "...be careful of the one in the white. He's from the Hyuga clan, so keep your guard up."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I'll handle the Hyuga while you handle the blonde one." Yaiba directed, eyes glaring at Neji, who returned his with a glare of his own.

"Now...shall we begin?"

* * *

Multiple pink and white flowers floated around in the air. Some civilians and Shinobi lie dead on the desroyed ground. Suddenly, Kentaro appeared in the middle of the field of flowers. He stared at them with narrowed eyes and reached out to touch one. As soon as he touched it, he felt a slash go across his finger. He looked at it and then immediatly jumped out of the flower field.

"I wouldn't touch those if I were you." A female voice said. He looked up into the sky and saw a figure fall from the air and land directly in front of him. "Those flowers are dangerous. You're comrades over there..." she pointed to the deceased civilians and shinobi. "...had to learn the hard way."

"Who are you?" Kentaro asked, not fazed at all by her sudden appearance. She had long brown hair which stopped at her waist and light brown eyes. She wore a sleeveless white shirt with tight red pants and black ninja sandals. She wore her headband across her waist, like a belt, and the symbol engraved on it belonged to the village of Kirigakure.

"Wow, so bold, but I'll gladly tell you. My name is Kazamina Fukuhara. My main goal is to destroy the Shadow Village. Is there anything else you'd like to know about..." but before she could finish her sentence, a kunai whizzed past her, leaving a small cut on her arm. She looked at the wound and smiled.

"My, my, my, a little hasty aren't we. I can tell you're not here to talk..." And then her eyes locked on to Kentaro. "...so why don't we just skip straight to the battle." She formed a chain of hand-seals and smiled deviously.

**[The Invaders Show Themselves! The Battle For The Village Begins!]**


End file.
